Loudoun County Real Estate Podcast with The Wicker Homes Group

4 Key Factors to Focus on for a Top-Dollar Sale

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 17:30:00 +0000

There are four ways we can help you get the absolute most out of your home sale.

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If you're selling your home, there a few things you can do to help yourself get top dollar in today's market here in Virginia. When selling, pay attention to these factors:

1. Preparation before a photo shoot is absolutely essential. Our team provides a consultation with a professional stager to help you get insight on how to get your home ready for the camera. After all, the camera is the only eye we have to please. Many people don't want to pay for a stager or think they'll need to buy new furniture, but remember, a stager will help you take advantage of things you already own. They'll help you decide how to place furniture and what to take out of a room to showcase your home to the fullest.

2. Pricing. Even though it's a seller's market, pricing definitely matters, especially if you want multiple offers for your home. Focus your price on where it will sell and it will pull the trigger on a lot of interest in your property.

Even though it's a seller's market, pricing definitely matters.

3. Drive exposure with all the buyers out there. Take advantage of all the tools in our toolkit like our 'coming soon' listings. We market these properties to get a little advanced buzz before it even goes active on the market. We've been able to sell properties before they even went active on the MLS with this method. We also have a full-time marketing specialist who exposes your house to more than 300 websites. It's not just about Zillow and Realtor.com; we want to maximize the eyeballs on your house.

4. Make sure you work with a Realtor who can negotiate top dollar for your property. With more than 30 years in the business, I'd be honored to show you what it's all about and how our team can help you get the most for your home.

If you have any questions or you'd like to learn more about how we can help you get the most for you home, give me a call or send me an email any time. I'd love to help you!

Multiple Offer Tips for Homebuyers

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:29:00 +0000

We are in a seller’s market right now, which means your offer might not be the only one made on your dream home. Luckily, there are some things you can do to ensure your offer beats the rest.

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If you’re looking to buy a home in the current market, you should be prepared to face a multiple offer situation. Today I’ll give you some great tips on how to make sure your offer is the one accepted and you end up in your dream home.

Getting an offer accepted isn’t always about the price of the house. There are other factors that go into winning a multiple offer situation.

First, you need to consider the seller’s time frame. Find out what their ideal time is to move out of the home and craft that into your offer along with the price. The more you play into the seller’s needs, the better off you will be.

There are factors besides price that go into winning a multiple offer situation.

The listing agent is also going to want to know that they are working with a seasoned agent who has a good reputation and a great lender who can get things done on time. Make sure you choose people who are well known and respected to represent you. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help.

What Do Buyers Need to Know About Our Current Market?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 17:55:00 +0000

How will the 2017 marketplace impact homebuyers? Interest rate increases are bound to happen, which will directly impact your ability to purchase a home.

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What is happening out there in the marketplace and how does it relate to you as a homebuyer?

Right now, the Fed is committed to raising interest rates in 2017. Rates will go up anywhere from 0.5% to 0.75%. We can no longer keep interest rates at the historic lows that we’ve seen the last couple of years.
Did you know that for every 0.25% increase in interest rates, buyers lose $25,000 of buying power? That’s a lot of money. So, if rates go up by either 0.5% or 0.75% this year, that could affect your buying power by $50,000 to $75,000 in terms of the total mortgage amount.

Interest rate increases negatively affect your home buying power.

What does that mean for you? Ultimately, it could mean the difference between buying a single-family home and buying a townhouse. Interest rate increases can negatively impact your ability to buy a home.
So, if you are a buyer in today’s market, what are you waiting for? Now is the time to make a move so that you can take advantage of these historically low interest rates. I don’t believe that we will ever see these kinds of rates again in our lifetimes.
If you have any other questions about buying a home or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How Is the 2017 Market Shaping Up for Sellers?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:17:00 +0000

Due to rising interest rates and a depletion of inventory, now is the perfect time to put your home on the market.

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We’ve been experiencing historically low interests rates, but that’s going to change moving forward in 2017. The Federal Reserve has already announced that they will raise interest rates this year by 0.5% to 0.75%. For every quarter of a percent rise in interest rates, that decreases a buyer’s ability to buy a mortgage by $25,000. This means we could see buyers losing purchasing power by $50,000 to $75,000 in the upcoming year.

For you as a seller, this means that as the year progresses and interest rates rise, you’ll find buyers who have less ability to buy. For some people, it will make the difference between being able to afford a single-family home versus a townhouse.

It’s an ideal time to sell your home.

If you’ve had any thoughts of selling, 2017 is the year to do it, and you should put your home on the market as soon as possible. Buyers want to take advantage of these interest rates, and because we’re also experiencing a depletion of inventory, they don’t have much to choose from. That means there’s a significant chance that your home will generate multiple offers, which almost always translates into more money in your pocket.

If you’re interested in putting your home on the market or have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. My team and I would be happy to help!

We Hope You Have a Great 2017

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 22:25:00 +0000

Happy New Year from the Wicker Homes Group!
We hope 2017 is your best year yet.

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As we begin 2017, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your business and your support in 2016.

As you know, we are passionate about serving clients at the highest possible level and helping them buy and sell homes. Wonderful clients and friends, like you, make it all possible.

We wish you a new year filled with great opportunities, new adventures, happiness and love. May 2017 be your best year ever!

From all of us at the Wicker Homes Group.

Debbie, Tad, Sara, Jen, Mike, Alexandra, Marie, Dylan, Julie & Allyson

P.S. If you haven’t seen our new website yet, check it out! And feel free to share it with your friends.

Looking Beyond Virginia Real Estate

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:54:00 +0000

Although real estate is local, we can help you find a top agent anywhere in the United States. We also have some wonderful, reputable lenders who can help you get financing nationwide.

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If you know anyone in need of great real estate service anywhere in the country, we can help. We have great real estate contacts all over the country.

As a matter of fact, we make it a specific mission to travel on business several times a year to network with top agents in the U.S. No matter where you are, there is a very good chance that we personally know someone who serves that area with the same top-level service that we do here in Virginia.

Just recently, a friend of mine who lives in another state had to move. She didn’t call me ahead of time before she started her housing search in a major metropolitan U.S. area. I checked in with her over the summer to say hello, and she confessed that she was having a miserable real estate experience.

Before you make a move, reach out to us to find a top agent!

Not only that, she was experiencing loan problems that never should have happened. Please make sure you contact us for recommendations before making a move. Some of our lenders service other areas of the country as well, and can help you with loans anywhere. We can put you in touch with very trusted resources to ensure that you have a smooth ride on the lending side as well.

I just wanted to let you know that we can help you connect the dots for terrific real estate service anywhere in the United States. If you have any questions or need to contact an out-of-state agent, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

What Exceptional Tools Do We Have for Sellers?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 19:37:00 +0000

Does your agent have the right tools to keep you in the loop during a real estate transaction? We do, and we’re excited to share one of our brand-new tools today.

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Does your agent have cool tools to keep you in touch with your home sale every step of the way? We wanted to give you a little information today about one of the tools we have in our toolbox right now.

We are implementing a program that will provide sellers with a weekly report letting them know exactly what we have done to get their home sold.

"We keep our sellers in the loop at every stage."

Once we go under contract, we keep our sellers in the loop every stage of the way from contract negotiations to settlement details. We don't want to leave anything to chance and we want our clients to be informed every step of the way.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. After 29 years in the business, we have a lot of experience that we are excited to share with you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What a Marketing Specialist Can Do to Sell Your Home

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:45:00 +0000

When you’re deciding to hire a real estate agent, you should ask that agent whether they have a full-time marketing specialist devoted only to that agent’s clients. Why is this important?

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When you hire an agent to sell your home, you should be sure that the agent has a full-time marketing specialist devoted only to that agent’s clients.

What are some of the benefits that an exclusive, full-time marketing specialist can provide? As an example, I’d like to talk about our marketing specialist, Mike Hauptman.

"It’s important that your home has maximum online exposure."

Mike has been our marketing specialist for the past two and a half years, and he is a marketing and internet guru. He manages our Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and blog accounts for our listings, and is fantastic at taking the information and the professional photography for all of our sellers and using it to provide top-notch marketing all over the world.

As a matter of fact, our team has actually sold four homes online over the last 18 months, without buyers having even seen them in-person!

Mike is also a Zillow virtuoso. This is important to us because Zillow has really become the national MLS, and Mike has managed our account beautifully. He even provides integrated marketing, like ‘coming soon’ teasers for homes that haven’t been listed yet.

Perhaps most importantly, Mike has also been great at placing sellers at the top of national search sites, ensuring premiere placement everywhere exclusively for our clients.

If you have any questions about what else a great marketing specialist can do get your home maximum exposure, or you have any other real estate-related questions, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you!

Why Communication Is Key When Selecting an Agent

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 19:35:00 +0000

Welcome back to our series about what you should look for when choosing a great real estate agent. Click here to view the first part of our series.

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Today I wanted to talk about two tools that real estate teams can use to communicate with their clients. Be sure that the agent you hire has exceptional communication skills to keep you in the loop!

One tool we use for that kind of communication is a showing service. This service helps the seller approve showings and know what days and times an agent might be showing your home. There's also an online journal for feedback on your home compared to others in the market.

"Communication is key, so your agent should offer a service for it."

You should also look for a team that uses an interfacing system that allows you to see what that team is doing at all times when it comes to necessary activities for generating a smooth transaction for you. In our case, my Listing manager, my Transaction manager, and I use an online service to give you a sense of what we do on a daily and weekly basis. You should work with a team that constantly gives you the chance to know what's going on with your transaction!

Since it's such a big transaction, the importance of great communication with your agent and their team can't be understated. If you have questions about finding the right agent for you, give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to help you out.

Why Are Renters Losing Ground in the Market?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 19:15:00 +0000

Today we are going to discuss why renters are continuing to lose ground in today’s real estate market. There are some interesting trends at play here that you should be aware of.

Rental properties are not going down on a monthly basis, they are only going up in price. Instead of papering the pockets of your landlord with rental money each month while helping them develop their equity. It may be time for you to start thinking about developing some equity of your own, and saving on your income taxes through a mortgage interest rate tax deduction.

"There are some interesting trends at play."

The second point I have for you is that you will either spend more and get less as time goes by, or if you choose to be a homeowner, you can take advantage of that equity and an appreciating market, which is a huge financial benefit over time.

After 28 years in the business, we are always open and willing to chat about your specific situation. If you have any questions for me, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

How to Choose the Best Agent for Your Needs

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 17:26:00 +0000

What factors should you look for when choosing a real estate agent to sell your home? There are many important factors to consider, so this will be part one in a series.

First of all, you need to look at who is on the real estate team. What background do the team members have? This is one of the most important financial decisions of your life, so you want to work with experienced agents. I am a listing agent, which means I only work with home sellers. When you work with a listing agent, there is no division of loyalty because they are there solely to protect your interests and focus on you. We also have a new listing coordinator that handles all the details in our real estate team.

"What background do the team members have?"

A good real estate team like ours will also have a full-time marketing specialist. The marketing specialist should be able to market your home online with stellar search engine capacity and attract lots of attention to your home. You should also look for a team with a transaction manager, who will take care of you from the time you go under contract to the time of closing. Every real estate transaction involves a ton of paperwork, and the transaction manager is there to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Of course, these are just a few factors you should consider when hiring a real estate agent. We'll be back with more tips for hiring the right agent for you. If you have any questions in the meantime, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Technology and Teams Are Changing Real Estate

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:00:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

We just got back from a fantastic real estate conference. We learned all the latest things happening in the real estate world in regards to new technology and how the team structure is changing the business.

This trip brought up an important point. If your Realtor doesn't’ spend the time to get educated and trained in these new areas of the business on a regular basis, you are missing out. It’s essential for growth, especially in a market that’s changing as fast as this one is.

"Education is essential for growth in real estate."

In the last few years, the tools and new education in real estate have helped to drive an amazingly better client experience. You want your Realtor to be getting fresh ideas and continuing their education. That way they can pack those tools in their toolkit and use them to your advantage when you’re buying or selling.

If you have any questions for us at all, we would be glad to answer them. We have the tools, experience, and structure to make your next home transaction a breeze. We can’t wait to hear from you, make it a great day!

A Chance to Grow with the Wicker Homes Group

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:20:00 +0000

Wicker Homes Group Virginia Real Estate Job Openings. The two open positions are for a buyer agent and a listing coordinator. Are you interested in a career in real estate, or do either of these specific positions sound interesting to you? Watch this short video to learn more about these opportunities.

Today I have some exciting news to share with you - the Wicker Homes Group is looking to expand!

We have two positions open on our team, and we wanted to reach out to you first.

"We have two positions open on our team."

We’re looking to add another buyer agent to our team; someone who can work with our clients who are looking to buy a home, and take great care of them.

We’re also looking for a listing coordinator. This person would work closely with me and with the systems we have in place to help me take great care of our clients who are looking to sell their home. This would include from the start of the transaction all the way through to settling and closing the transaction.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in these positions, please contact our operations manager Tad Wicker! His email is TadWicker@WickerHomes, or you can call Tad on his cell phone at 571-338-3883. You can also visit this website for the job details.

We hope to hear from you soon!

A Special Announcement From Our Team

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 09 May 2016 20:13:00 +0000

After 19 years of working under RE/MAX International, the Wicker Homes Group has moved over to Keller Williams! We realized there was a bigger opportunity at Keller Williams after researching the company extensively. Here’s what they offer us that no one else could:

They know teams. They, literally, wrote a book on it 20 years ago. They are the leader in real estate teams. This is crucial for our team’s growth.

They’re number one in real estate training. Compared to other companies in different industries internationally, they are a prominent leader in employee training. In fact, they earned this title in 2015. For the past five years, they’ve been in the top five.

They know how to recruit effectively. We want to make sure every position on our team is filled with someone who is passionate and talented enough to serve our clients.

We made this move because we ultimately want to serve our clients to the best of our ability. This means having the best tools and resources out there! We’ve been thrilled with our transition so far.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling your Virginia home, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to answer your questions about this topic or more!

How Much Longer Are You Going to Wait to Refinance?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:24:00 +0000

Today we’re going to be talking all about refinancing, and whether or not you should consider it as a Loudoun County homeowner.

If you haven’t taken advantage of a refinance in recent years, now is the time to do so. Interest rates are still at near historic lows. Even though the Fed raised short-term rates at the end of 2015, they haven’t trickled down to the long-term rates yet.

If a refinance has been on your to-do list, now is the time to pull the trigger. After 28 years in real estate, we know that every home and every situation is unique. If you have any questions for us at all about your specific situation, we would be glad to answer them. Just give us a call or send us an email, and we will talk to you soon!

What's Happening with the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 18:26:00 +0000

How's the market doing? We're in early 2016 right now, and I've got three things for you to think about if you've been on the fence about buying or selling a home.

For starters, inventory is incredibly low. If you've got a house to sell, now is the time to giddy up! There are buyers out there who don't have a lot of choices. If you're thinking of selling, now is your chance to be a big fish in a little pond.

Next, interest rates are still low. The Fed did raise short term interest rates by .25% at the end of 2015, but so far that has not affected long term mortgage rates. If you're looking to sell your property and buy another, you have a golden opportunity to lock in a low interest rate.

Finally, buyers are still buying right now! They are taking advantage of those low interest rates, and they don't have a lot of choices. Our spring market has gotten into gear much earlier than we imagined it would this year.

So if you're thinking of buying or selling a home, get rolling. The market doesn't get any better than this!

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

What Does the Fed's Decision to Raise Rates Mean for the Virginia Marketplace?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 17:56:00 +0000

The Fed has a lot of meetings planned in the upcoming months, and everyone wants to know one thing: when are rates going to rise? It's not a matter of if, but when.

We're already starting to see changes in the Virginia marketplace. Many sellers are listing their homes to get ahead of the curve, and buyers out there are trying to find that perfect home in order to take advantage of these historically low interest rates!

So, if you're thinking about buying a home or refinancing your current one, we highly recommend trying to take advantage of our current historically low interest rates while they're still here.

Give us a call or shoot us an email if you would like our help taking advantage of this historic opportunity. We would love to help you!

It's Been a Great Year Thanks to All of You!

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 22:20:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

The end of the year is upon us, and we’ve loved being able to catch up with you this year through this video blog. We wanted to just take a moment and send a heartfelt “Thank You!” to all of you that have supported us throughout the year.

We hope you have a wonderful end to 2015, as well as a great start to 2016! You’ve been there for us this year, and we wanted to make sure you knew that we are here for you as well.

Whether you have questions about buying or selling, or if you’re just looking for an honest answer about any other real estate topic, we’ve got the answer. We look forward to hearing from you in 2016, may it be your best year yet!

It’s a Perfect Time for Buyers

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 21:19:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Today, Loudoun County is in a buyer’s market. It’s a terrific time to purchase a home! Here's why:

1. We're experiencing historically low interest rates. Recently, one of our clients received 3.5% on a fixed rate 30-year loan. It doesn't get any better than that. Rates can't get any lower!

2. The Fed announced that interest rates will remain steady throughout the rest of the year. The Fed didn't mention next year, so now is the time to jump on a great opportunity. Every slight increase of interest rates directly affects you as a buyer.

3. The current inventory is amazing! There are so many choices out there.

With historically low interest rates and a diverse inventory, now is an excellent opportunity to buy. Give me a shout with any real estate questions! I'm always here to help.

Don't Miss the Holiday Home Selling Season

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 16:43:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

A lot of people think that the real estate market freezes over in the winter, especially during the holidays. However, this is not true, and the winter can actually be a great time to sell for some people.

Here are three reasons why this is true:

1. Buyers are very serious in the winter.
They often have to buy because of a job transfer or for tax purposes. When buyers are more motivated, you can expect a quicker sale and probably a better price for your home if they have to buy quickly.

2. Homes tend to look their best during the holidays.
Our homes are usually decorated well during the holidays because we're having friends and family over, and this will entice buyers. What's better than having a buyer walk into a warm home with a fire lit and cookies baking in the oven? They'll feel right at home!

3. There isn't as much competition during the holidays.
A lot of sellers think that it's a bad time to sell a home, so they take it off the market. This means that your home has a better chance to stand out and sell quickly!

The holidays really are a great time to sell a home. It's a little bit tougher to move, but you can capitalize on a market that not many people know about.

If you're thinking of selling in Loudoun County, please contact me soon. Now is the time to set up a free consultation and get your home ready to sell!

How Can You Find The Best Agents In The Country?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 15:13:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Are you planning on moving outside the Loudoun County area? If you are and want to get connected with an agent you can trust in another area, we are here to help.

We belong to two of the most successful referral organizations on the planet. One of them is our real estate coaching organization and the other, of course, is RE/MAX International. We want to make sure you are aware of the fact that we have great resources to connect not only you, but your friends and families, to the best Realtors across the United States and overseas.

Even if you know someone from out of state who is making their move elsewhere, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We have had a lot of success connecting great agents with clients. Two times this year, I've had clients who were contemplating a move to Nashville, Tennessee. I found a terrific agent for them and each of them went to Nashville on separate visits, had a terrific time with the agent; they both made a point to come back and thank me for connecting them with a great agent. They explained that they had a new-found confidence even though they were moving a significant distance!

If you have questions about how we can help you, a family member, or a friend find an agent outside of Loudoun County, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to make the moving process as smooth and stress-free as possible!

What Extras Do We Offer Our Clients?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 16:26:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Today we are going to be talking about making sure you stay connected to us throughout the year via email. We plan on giving away some really cool things this year and planning some great events for all of our clients, so we don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity!

Our email addresses are TadWicker@WickerHomes.com and DebbieWicker@WickerHomes.com. Make sure you have them in your address book, and make sure your email settings are set up to receive emails from the Wicker Homes Group, so you don’t miss out on the many fun things we have planned.

We have already sent some great opportunities out to our clients this year via email. This year, we had wonderful club level seats to all the Nationals games. Over the last few seasons, we’ve been offering those tickets for anyone who has the opportunity to use them, first come, first serve. In addition to those Nationals tickets, you’ll be the first to know about the events we host throughout the year, like our client appreciation party and many more events that we don’t want you to miss out on.

If you have any questions for us, or any real estate needs whatsoever, we would be glad to help out. Just give us a call or send us an email today!

Debbie’s List, the Best of Our Service Providers

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:25:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Today we want to let you know about a cool gift we have for all of you. It’s a little business directory we have compiled, and we think you are really going to like it.

I have been a local Realtor in the area for 28 years, and in those years I’ve come across some really terrific contractors. All of the people featured in this directory are tried and true professionals. They are people that we trust to get the job done for us, so of course we trust them to get the job done for you as well. This is better than Angie’s list, it’s Debbie’s List.

We wanted to share this directory with all of you this month so you have access to some of these great contractors. If you don’t find yours in your inbox this month, please reach out to us. We would be happy to make sure we have the right address for you and that you get this helpful link.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

How Can a Reverse Mortgage Be Beneficial to You?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:01:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

A recent client of ours needed a reverse mortgage, which caused us to learn a lot of things about them we didn’t know before. We want to share some of what we learned today, and talk about how reverse mortgages can be beneficial in a transaction.

A reverse mortgage is actually an FHA loan, complete with stock gaps and limits on the loan balance based on the appraisal, so it’s pretty hard to spend too much money on a reverse mortgage so that there is no equity left in the house at the time when the mortgage is ready to be paid off.

It’s a regular mortgage in the sense that the homeowner actually owns the property and the bank doesn’t. It allows the homeowner the freedom to not make mortgage payments for any amount of time while they have the reverse mortgage in place.

This can be a good tool for some of our seniors, to allow them to stay in their house longer. If the owner of the mortgage passes before the mortgage is paid off, the heirs to that property actually have a full year after the homeowner’s passing to prepare it for the market or keep it in the family through a refinance.

If a reverse mortgage might be a help for you or somebody you know, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to get you in touch with our lender who has been helping us out recently with these reverse mortgages. We look forward to hearing from you!

What Easy Improvements Add Value to Your Home?

info@wickerhomes.com (Tad Wicker) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:07:00 +0000

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Today, I want to encourage you to make certain easy improvements in your home if you are financially able to. Updating your paint and carpeting, removing wallpaper, changing light fixtures, and putting in a deck or patio are all examples of things that will add value to your home.

You would be surprised by the number of homeowners that I meet on a routine basis who have let these things go for years. They don't realize that they need to make certain upgrades in order to get their home sold for top dollar. Years ago, I had a client who said they were so bummed that they had to spend a bunch of money right before moving rather than getting their home fixed up over the years in order to enjoy those improvements!

So, if you can afford to make upgrades and improvements today, do it! That way, when it comes time to sell the property, you won't have to spend a ton of time and money getting it ready. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you!