Is This Braemar Single Family Home Being Back on the Market YOUR Christmas Miracle?

Is This Braemar Single Family Home Being Back on the Market YOUR Christmas Miracle?

This Short Sale listing at 13519 Marr Lodge Lane is in need of a truly patient and faithful buyer.  Still priced at $478,000, this lovely Oberlin model by Ryan Homes offers four bedrooms and two full bathrooms on the upper level and an easy flowing main level floor plan to include formal living and dining rooms, a study and a large family room open to a kitchen with a breakfast area AND sunroom.  What’s not to love?

While two previous buyers have fallen in love with this home’s charms since hitting the market on August 4th (2015,) the Short Sale process found them losing their faith.  I’m here to tell you that this Short Sale WILL close.  So if you are willing to wait 90 days for the coordination of getting approval letters from both Short Sale banks, this could be the next place you call home.

For more information, give me a call.  I’ve been a Bristow Short Sale Agent since 2007.  And I’ve been a full-time Braemar Agent since 2005.  No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker-Licensed in VA

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com

 

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Another Braemar Single Family Home Gets a Contract in Time for Christmas

Another Braemar Single Family Home Gets a Contract in Time for Christmas

There is something very magical about getting buyers and sellers together in the week leading up to Christmas.  Buyers are still out house hunting and on December 17th (2015) this Braemar Short Sale at 9535 Laurencekirk Place received an offer.  On December 20th, the offer became a ratified contract when buyers and sellers agreed to terms.

The home had been listed for sale since October 3rd (2015.)  It started at a list price of $525,000.  The price was reduced to $499,000  to reflect falling market value and existing issues with the condition of the home on October 23rd, and again to $480,000 on November 9th. Those  condition issues were that the home needed new carpet on two levels and in the study, and fresh paint throughout.  There were also some repairs needs to a leak in the master bathroom and a new dishwasher needed in the kitchen.

Knowing Short Sales the way I do, I know that a bank doesn’t tend to look at these types of repairs as being as expensive as buyers tend to see them.  And banks certainly don’t want to make huge adjustments to the sales price on a Short Sale because even at market value, they are losing money they are owed.  So I advised the sellers to wait at $480,000.  I am glad they did.

It will take a few months to get the settlement table on this one, since there are two banks that will need to approve the sale.  Until then, if you are thinking of selling your Braemar home, give me a call for a free market analysis.  No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker-Licensed in VA

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com

Santa Brought This Dunbarton Home a Contract!

Santa Brought This Dunbarton Home a Contract!

On October 15th (2015,) I listed this Patuxent model in Dunbarton at 13243 Ormond Drive.  As the second listing agent, the listing came to me with 125 accumulated days on the market.  Thankfully, the Sellers understood that their list price needed adjusting after our initial discussion.  While they had been listed at $369,900 with their previous listing agent, we landed on $358,000 as a reasonable asking price.

One thing I uncovered during our comparable market analysis was the average marketing time for a similiar sized home in Dunbarton, at the time, was 46 days.  That gave the Sellers and I a reasonable expectation of when we could expect an offer, if we were priced right.

The market did slow down a bit, as discussion of government shutdown came and went.  Meanwhile, always with a mind toward marketing, I did some preliminary staging and updated it as the listing lingered on the market.

On December 16th, after 62 days on the market, we got an offer!  It was a little longer than the average, but half the time of the previously unsuccessful attempt to sell.  Two days later, we were officially under contract.  You’ll have to stay tuned for the final details.

Buyers don’t stop house hunting over the holidays.  In fact, traffic has picked up in Bristow as the year end holidays get closer.  If you are talking to an agent who writes off anything but the spring and summer selling season, you might want to talk with an agent that KNOWS the market is active year round in Bristow.

When you are ready to sell your Braemar or Dunbarton home, give me a call.  No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker-Licensed in VA

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com

 

Two Bedroom Braemar Townhouse SOLD!

Two Bedroom Braemar Townhouse SOLD!

On September 26th (2015) I had the pleasure of listing a completely renovated, two bedroom/two and a half bathroom, end unit townhouse in the Highland Village section of Braemar.  Located at 9850 Maitland Loop, it was very close to the Rob Roy pool and Clareybrook Park

Because the owner had the kitchen appliances replaced, granite counters installed, new HVAC, new fixtures throughout and new carpet and fresh paint, we priced it at $275,000.  At the time that was the top of the market.  Unfortunately, the market was a little slower than normal and after only a couple showings in the course of one month, the Seller decided to reduce the price to $265,000.  That reduction happened on November 1st and showings immediately picked up.

On November 14th, this townhouse went under contract.  It was a whirlwind to the December 4th settlement, but the sale closed on time for full list price of $265,000.   Prosperity Home Mortgage did a bang up job getting the loan closed so fast, in spite of recent industry changes.

When you are ready to sell your Braemar townhouse, call me for a free market analysis.  No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com

December 2015 Started With the Sale of a Braemar Patio Home

December 2015 Started With the Sale of a Braemar Patio Home

What do you do when you find the home you want to buy, but have a lease in place for four to five more months?  Well, if you are working with a real estate agent that knows how mortgage payments work, you first figure out when settlement could take place where no double payments would be made.  Rent is paid for the month you are about to live in the home.  Mortgage payments are made for the month you just lived in
the home.  So if you buy a home in December, you won’t have a mortgage payment until February.  And if you are a buyer that can handle one month of double payments, you plan accordingly when making your offer.  Whatever you do, you don’t stop yourself from making an offer.  Always make the offer and see what the Seller says.

Well, my Buyer-client did exactly that.  He made his offer on this Braemar Patio home off of Rannoch Forest.  The bedrooms were so much larger than the townhouses he had seen.  And the bonus was that was a fourth bedroom and full bathroom on the main level.  Problem is, after no response from the Listing Agent for a day, we knew something was up.  Turns out a cash buyer had sent in an offer as well.  How do you beat a cash offer?  Find out what the offer is and come in with a higher net price and give the seller a two hour window to respond.  That’s what we did and my Buyer beat out that cash offer with an FHA loan.

While the home had been listed for $299,000, my Buyer offered higher, building in his request for closing costs to the sales price.  Bad news for the Listing Agent, who was also the Seller, was that it didn’t appraise.  Of course, meeting the appraiser at the property with comps and the improvements that had been done to the home probably would have helped justify the sales price in the contract.  Instead, the Seller was now in a position where if he wanted to settle on time, he needed to lower his price to the appraised value.

The settlement did take place on time, December 1, 2015.  The final sales price was $305,000.  My Buyer got all of his $9,300 of requested closing cost help. Are you looking for a home in Braemar?  Give me a call and find out why I can say with absolute confidence—No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com