Selling Real Estate

February Housing Report from Jim Gillespie, Coldwell Banker

2010-03-24T09:08:00.000-04:00

Today, the National Association of Realtors released its monthly report for February on the housing market. I was really encouraged reading through it. Yes, existing home sales dropped slightly (by just .06 percent), but we have to remember what was going on during this time – snow, snow and more snow! I know that I was snowed in at my home for several days, and many people around the country found themselves inside staying warm, as opposed to outside looking at or closing on homes.

Another important consideration is that contracts are often written 30-45 days in advance of closing dates. So some of the February closings may trace back to the end of the holiday season, which is typically a slow time for our industry. The fact that the numbers remained relatively steady in spite of these two factors is positive from my perspective.

Inventory, or the number of homes available, was also higher, but this is a typical seasonal jump – many people put their homes on the market in February and March in anticipation of the spring buying season.

Looking through the report, it’s important to note that first time home buyers accounted for 42 percent of the existing home sales in February. Based on my travels and conversations with Coldwell Banker agents across the country, almost everyone is seeing more first time home buyers get off the fence and into the market. The next several weeks will be critical as we head toward the first time home buyer tax credit deadline on April 30, so we could see even stronger activity in this sector of the market.

Speaking of the tax credit, I encourage buyers not to wait until the last moment to try and go into contract to take advantage of this opportunity. Buying a home, especially for the first time, can be complex. Speaking with a real estate professional is a critical part of the process!

Some Help With Loan Modifications

2010-03-17T15:17:00.001-04:00

Some Help For Loan Modification

2010-03-17T15:17:00.000-04:00

Existing-home sales fell in January but are above year-ago levels, and prices are holding steady.

2010-02-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

Coldwell Banker Premier Homes

2010-02-24T13:10:00.002-05:00

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2009 Year End Update

2010-01-31T09:18:00.001-05:00

Trends in Housing, a joint publication of MRIS and Delta Associates, provides an in-depth look at the statistics and issues that shape the Mid-Atlantic housing market. Following are highlights of market activity at Year-End 2009:

Prices are showing signs of a moderate recovery: 4^th quarter prices in the metro are up from the same quarter in 2008, with the Outer jurisdictions outperforming the Core and Inner jurisdictions. Prices will likely gain traction in 2010, as buyer and seller expectations continue to move closer to a balance, facilitating an increase in transaction volume. This is the first time prices have risen on a trailing 12-month basis since the 4^th quarter of 2007.
Days on market continue to decline compared to both last quarter and a year ago. Properties in the Outer jurisdictions (Loudoun, Prince William and Frederick Counties) have experienced the sharpest decline, but across the region, time on market is at or below the region’s long-term average.
The ratio of inventory to sales continues to decline in most jurisdictions from one year ago. The metro-wide ratio of 5.3 months’ worth of listings is below the normal, healthy standard of 6 months, signaling that demand is beginning to outpace supply.
The gap between buyer and seller demands is closing with the average sales price in the 4^th quarter of 2009 at 93.7% of list price, the highest share in more than two years.

Sleepy Oaks - a new subdivision of luxury mountain retreat homes

2010-01-16T17:37:00.004-05:00

Sleepy Oaks is a new subdivision of luxury mountain retreat homes located in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia - a quaint little town with a lot to offer - peace, tranquility and an escape from the pressures of the city. Because it is only two hours from Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Baltimore, many metropolitan residents have chosen to settle here or spend their weekends in the area. Local attractions include luxurious spas, art galleries, shopping, fine dining, state parks, golf, rivers and lakes. Sleepy Oaks is located approximately 15 minutes from historic Berkeley Springs and less than 15 minutes from Cacapon State Park. The Park features an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Championship golf course, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, skeet shooting, hiking trails, tennis courts, lodge and restaurant. Plans for the near future include an expanded lodge, a day spa, indoor pool and gym.

This classic mountain retreat community is being developed on a 30-acre tract of land located next to Sleepy Creek Mountain State Park. This is one of six wooded estate lots, with plenty of privacy and breathtaking views. The south branch of Sleepy Creek runs through the property. Moderate to large homes featuring logs, stone, cedar siding, plenty of windows and large decks will blend in with the natural setting of the community. A beautiful log home on Lot 1, built by Mount Tabor Builders, is under construction and available for sale.

Sleepy Oaks is located on a private cul-de-sac lane and offers underground utilities and reasonable covenants to protect your investment. Mt. Tabor Builders will work with you to build your custom dream home – or bring your own plans.

More Tax Credits Available - and not just for 1st time buyers!!

2009-11-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package. But with that housing program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the House voted to extend it into the spring — and to expand it to many people who already own homes.

Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible, subject to income limits, for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or people who haven't owned homes in the previous three years — could get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign purchase agreements before May 1 and close before July 1.

We Made It Through Another Apple Butter Festival!!

2009-10-12T16:09:00.004-04:00

The Annual Apple Butter Festival is over. If you've never experienced it, you should try to come next year. It always happens on Columbus Day Weekend.

Click the title to read a review in the Martinsburg Journal.

This is West Virginia

2009-10-06T22:39:00.003-04:00

Click on the title to watch a short film about West Virginia. This is why you should own a vacation home in Berkeley Springs.

U.S. home prices increase for the 3rd month in a row!!

2009-09-29T19:09:00.004-04:00

If you've been waiting for housing prices to bottom out before buying, you may have waited too long!!

Click on the headline to read the latest news from Standard and Poors.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-04T10:45:00.008-04:00

While everyone else is out celebrating the holiday weekend, I'll be working.

Because Berkeley Springs is a vacation destination for many people living in the Maryland, Virginia, and DC area, our small arts town is booming with tourists, vacationers and house hunters. Just about everyone in our office is working most of the weekend, showing property to people who hope to be able to call Berkeley Springs their second home.

Many of the vacation homes I'll be showing are rented for the weekend, so I'll be taking my buyers there on Monday, after the renters are gone. Owning a cabin here is a great investment opportunity and depending on what you are looking for, cabins can be found for in the low $100,000's and up.

Here's just one example of a cabin that is currently on the market. Asking price is $198,900. Just minutes from Cacapon State Park and an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, it is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home that has been totally updated and is totally gorgeous. Get away from the city. Smell the clean country air, take in the beautiful view and luxuriate in your very own piece of "almost heaven".

Take a virtual tour

New Coldwell Banker iPhone app

2009-08-20T15:58:00.005-04:00

The official Coldwell Banker App for the iPhone is available for download in the iTunes app store. See a demo by clicking the headline!

Two of my recent sales...

2009-08-03T20:49:00.004-04:00

Two of my recent sales - both to customers who purchased 2nd Homes:

Town of Bath: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bath cottage on 1/2 acre. Sunroom, main floor master bedroom and laundry room. Detached garage. - $129,000

Cacapon South: New 3 bedroom, 2 bath Pedestal Home on .75 acre. Minutes from the Cacapon State Park with 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Golf Course - $205,000

Why Buy a 2nd Home in Berkeley Springs?????

2009-07-23T17:50:00.014-04:00

Here's just one reason...

Because Berkeley Springs is a Certified Arts Community!!

The designation is for communities that have realized the benefits of cooperation between arts and humanities groups, business leaders and jurisdictional agencies.

The non-profit Morgan Arts Council has produced more than a thousand programs with nearly 2400 artists, benefiting thousands of visitors and residents including students in all county schools. Presentations have included concerts, arts workshops, pageants, entertainment at the Apple Butter Festival, craft studio tours, professional art shows, storytellers, theater and video festivals.

MAC has more than 450 individual and family members. MAC is governed by an elected board of artists and business people and staffed by a professional arts administrator. A corps of dedicated volunteers work in all areas, from booking artists to curating gallery shows to staffing the box office at concerts and plays. New volunteers are always welcome.

Click here to become a member! or here to sign up for their "Arts Alert" email.

Mortgage Rates Fall Again!!!

2009-07-23T12:07:00.002-04:00

McCLEAN, Va. (AP) — Rates for 30-year home loans dropped for the third-straight week, inching toward a record low reached earlier this year, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

The average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages was 5.14 percent this week, down from 5.2 percent last week. Last year at this time, the average rate for a 30-year mortgage averaged 6.26 percent, Freddie Mac said.

Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said rate reductions over the past five weeks translate into monthly savings of $56 on a $200,000 mortgage.

This week, the average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.63 percent, down from 4.69 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Average rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages were 4.83 percent, up just a bit from 4.82 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 4.76 percent from 4.82 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee averaged 0.7 point for 30-year and 15-year fixed rate mortgages, and five year adjustable rate mortgages. The fee for one-year adjustable rate mortgages was 0.5 point.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

I'm just saying...

2009-07-16T17:18:00.012-04:00

This happens all the time to real estate agents and we all know it's a part of what comes with our job, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it. I'm talking about people who think it's okay to make appointments and not show up.

In case anyone reading this doesn't understand how being a Real Estate Agent works, let me tell you.

Being a Real Estate Agent is like owning your own business. For the most part, we bear all of our own expenses. We pay for everything that is required just to have a license: continuing education, dues, MLS membership, Board of Realtors membership, etc. We also have to pay for most of the tools and office supplies we use: computer, printer, fax machine, lockboxes, PDA, paper, business cards, signs, name riders, postage and on and on and on. Our Brokers generally help out and give us access to printers, phones and fax machines, but that is only good for when we are in the office. A full-time Realtor must have a full office set-up in their home because our customers and clients expect us to work all hours, seven days a week. If we don't have an office at home, we are useless to someone who calls or e-mails us in the evening.

When we work with a Buyer (except on a few rare occasions), we willingly take on this obligation without any guarantee that we will ever get paid for our services. We use our own vehicles (and of course we pay for our own gas) and drive people around from house to house. Some buyers will look at as many as 30 or 40 houses, or even more, before they consider making an offer. I have worked with people who have looked on and off for a year or more before they make an offer. And that's assuming that they will ever make an offer. I have gone out on countless house hunting missions with prospective buyers who you never hear from again.

When we work with Sellers, we make a huge financial commitment to market their home. Most agents have their own web site, create virtual tours, print custom flyers, pay for print advertising, hold open houses and more. All of this is done in an attempt to find a buyer but again, there is no guarantee that this will actually happen.

Real Estate Agents do not get paid until all of the legal papers are signed and the property changes hands. The check we are handed at the closing table is made payable to our Broker, not the agent. The Broker normally takes a small percentage off the top - anywhere from 2% - 8% - it varies from Broker to Broker. After that, there is another split. This split can be as much as 50/50 but is usually somewhat higher than that. The Broker keeps their share and writes a check to the Agent. There are deductions taken out the of the agent's share like Errors and Ommissions Insurance that must be paid on each transaction. What is left is our Gross Pay. Taxes are not deducted so we are required to file estimated income tax. Some times there are disputes between the seller and the buyer and in order to keep the deal alive, the Agent will often offer to pay for the item in question. This can be hundreds of dollars and I've done it quite a few times.

Now, having said all that, I am not complaining. We know that these are the conditions of our job. My only complaint is that some people give us no respect. They make appointments and do not show up. We rearrange our day to make time for what we consider to be an important meeting - but the person has no respect for this. They either doesn't show up or they are late by as many as 3 hours (or more) and expect us to still be waiting for them. We are not even given the consideration of a simple phone call.

I'm just saying...

Spectacular Log Home

2009-07-13T21:24:00.005-04:00

Spectacular log home in beautiful Cacapon South, less than 2 hours to Baltimore/DC.

With over 4000 finished square feet on 3 levels, this home offers 3 BR, 2.5 BA, soaring cathedral ceilings, a chef's kitchen, wraparound deck, basement with hobby room and sewing room, and master craftsmanship throughout. The 2 car garage has a room above.

The 6.65 acre property is professionally landscaped, totally private, and the house is elevated on a hillside to maximize the stunning view.

Cacapon South is located just across from the 6000 acre Cacapon State Park. There is something for everyone at the park, including an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf course, fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, a lodge, restaurant and more.

Take a tour of the Cacapon State Park

Take a tour of this Home

NOW is the time to buy a house!!!!!

2009-06-20T19:03:00.011-04:00

Quoting from Forbes:

"After 17 months of steep decline, both the president's Council of Economic Advisors and the Federal Reserve now believe the economy will begin to recover sometime in 2009.

Great news, to be sure. But it's also a warning to consumers: The deals you're seeing on everything from houses and cars to televisions and furniture won't last forever. Luckily, for a host of goods and services, the sale of the century (literally) is still on.

At the top of the list: housing. This may be the best time in a generation to buy a home. According to the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, fourth-quarter 2008 prices were down 25% from the four quarter of 2006. The stimulus bill Congress passed in February includes an $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers. According to bankrate.com, average interest rates are beginning to dip below 5% for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage."

Just like the recession, these deals won't last forever. Here are some of the deals that buyers have recently made in Berkeley Springs:

3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom cedar-sided cabin on 5 acres - $155,000

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabin on 37 acres - $192,000

Award-Winning Cacapon South - New Listing

2009-05-24T10:55:00.012-04:00

A terrific weekend-getaway...less than 2 hours from Washington and Baltimore.

This house is located in the southern portion of Morgan County. The community features underground utilities and reasonable covenants to protect your investment and is just across the street from the Cacapon State Park.

There is something for everyone at the Park. They offer an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf course, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, birding and skeet shooting. There are tennis and basketball courts, a nature center, a playground for the kids, and in the summer they sponsor live concerts. Admission is free and dogs are permitted providing they are on a leash. Some of the activites require a fee - admission to the private lake for swimming and of course, the golf course.

The house was built in 2005 and has 2700 square feet of finished living area. On the main level, you'll find 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in addition to the living room, dining room and kitchen. It is well appointed with hardwood floors, Corian counters and stainless steel appliances.

The lower level features a large family room and second kitchen, bedroom, luxurious bathroom with jetted tub and a laundry room - ideal for two families that want to vacation together but still have some privacy. Or, it would be a great area for entertaining. There's plenty of room for you, your friends and extended family as well.

There is a large deck on the rear of the house and it backs to trees so there is plenty of privacy.

This house is move-in ready -- not a thing to do but place your furniture and then head off to the park.

Asking price is $279,000

My New Office

2009-05-01T16:26:00.004-04:00

Owning your own business is the American Dream and for the past few years, I was part-owner of Berkeley Realty Group. I had the opportunity to buy into the company and thought it was a great idea. Selling real estate has been tough the last year or so, but we managed to hold our own and unlike some of the other independent offices in town, were able to keep our doors open.

A few months ago, we were approached by the local Coldwell Banker office who wanted us to consider merging with them. The idea was something we threw around but the offer was just not something we could live with. We discussed various options over the next few months until Coldwell Banker finally made us an offer we couldn't refuse. They have acuired our business, but we will still hold title to the real estate and are open to either renting selling the property.

So, effective Monday, May 4, 2009, Berkeley Realty Group will be closing it's door and I will be working out of the Coldwell Banker office just down the street. It's an exciting time and I'm looking forward to all of the marketing, financial and educational support they offer their agents.

All of us at the office are busy packing and moving and setting up our new offices. Now I can concentrate on just buying and selling real estate and let someone else run the business.

Closing Day

2009-04-16T19:13:00.019-04:00

At the Apple Butter Festival in 2007, I met a young couple from New York State who needed to relocate to the Berkeley Springs area because of their jobs.

The young couple's first obstacle was to sell their home in New York. They signed a listing agreement with a local agent who was recommended as being one of the best in the area. On one of their many visits here, they came to my office asking for help. Their agent didn't have any photographs of their house in the Multiple List, and even worse, had the house listed as being in a different city than it actually was. They told me that even with repeated phone calls, the agent did not fix the problem. I made a few phone calls and finally, a few days later, the agent got the problems taken care of. Several months later, the house sold and the couple, who by now had become my friends, made the arrangements to move to Morgan County.

Due to a personal situation and a not-so-perfect credit score, they opted to rent an apartment while they looked for their new home. Over the months that passed, we went out on numerous occasions to look at homes. What they wanted and what they could afford just didn't match up. They decided to look for a fixer-upper until it was determined that they could not finance any additional funds to renovate.

It was actually a good thing that they were delayed. In the time that passed their needs changed and they realized they needed to move closer to the local Interstate which was in another county. So, we started over once again, looking at homes in Berkeley County. Nothing we saw was quite right -- either the neighborhood was bad, or the house needed too much work, or another contract had come in and the house was no longer available.

Finally, I suggested looking at a brand new townhouse. There was resistance at first, because all they knew of townhouse was that they felt like an apartment. I encouraged them to look at a brand new end unit. It was close to I-81, it needed absolutely no work, and it was in their price range. They fell in love with the house and we put in our offer. The offer was accepted and now it was just a matter of their lender finalizing their side of things. We had our share of problems - there always seems to be problems no matter how hard you try to prevent them - but we got through it all fairly easily.

17 months later, my friends and their children are finally settling in to their brand new, beautiful townhouse. It has 3 finished levels, a gorgeous kitchen with granite counter-tops, whirlpool tub, hardwood floors and over 2400 square feet. I am so happy to have played a part in it. It's the most rewarding part of my job.

This is amazing!!!

2009-03-31T16:26:00.025-04:00

A friend of mine posted this video on his Facebook account this morning. I saw that it was almost 5 minutes long and hesitated to watch it. I can rarely watch anything online for that length of time. Usually after a minute or so, I hit stop because there's no substance to it or it's just plain boring. This time was different. I was engrossed for a full 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Actually, I watched it twice and will most likely watch it yet again.

Although I was fascinated with the message it also made me a little sad because I won't be around long enough to really see all of this technology grow into what we see in Star Wars and Star Trek. Wouldn't it be awesome to send a prospective buyer a virtual tour of a house in the form of a hologram that they can view from within their very own holodeck? Or maybe Scotty can beam them directly into the house. It would save me tons of money on gas!

For now, I find that I must continue to educate myself on how to use the technology that's currently available to me to make my job easier and more successful. Many of my buyers actually go online and find their new home before they actually see it in person. It's a shame more real estate agents don't take the time to create virtual tours of their listings. They're not servicing their sellers and they're making it more difficult on their buyers. I also wonder why someone selling their home would pay the same commission to an agent who only takes one exterior photo of their house as opposed to an agent who takes full advantage of everything technology has to offer -- that includes multiple photos of both the interior and exterior of their property, a video and/or virtual tour, a personal website and even networking through Facebook, Myspace or my blog.

I do all of this and am continually looking for other ways to market my listings and myself. I guess it's really just a matter of combining state-of-the-art technology with good, old-fashioned service.

Home Inspection on a Rainy Day

2009-03-28T17:28:00.022-04:00

Today I had a home inspection in Rouse Mountain Subdivision. My customers from Virginia are buying a get-away cabin on 14 acres. They have two great dogs who just loved smelling the fresh air and running through the wet leaves. (actually we enjoyed it too) It was misting most of the time we were there and the fog was rolling over the treetops across the valley. It was pretty even though you might not think so on a rainy day.

We spent two days looking at cabins and acreage the weekend before. Because they weren't sure where exactly they wanted to settle, we spent Saturday on the east side of the county and Sunday on the west side. They narrowed it down to three and ended up on the west side. The drive to the cabin is really quite beautiful.

There's a low-water bridge about half-way down the road and then the road meanders alongside the Cacapon River until we get to our turn-off. Then it's time to put the Jeep in 4-Wheel drive so we can get to the top of the Cacapon Mountain and their new vacation home. Normally it's not too bad but today with the rain, the unpaved roads where a little slippery. And my army green Jeep is splattered with mud - that's okay - people will think I've been doing some off-road exploring!

After the deal has been made and agreed to between seller and buyer, my duties include doing anything and everything required to get to the closing table. In this case, I've already had Floyd locate and pump the septic tank. The appraiser has been given instructions on how to find the cabin. I've sent the contract over to the buyer's lender. The well water will be tested on Monday as well as a routine wood-destroying organism examination. Then it's time to get the Health Department out to inspect the septic tank. In between all of this, I'm coordinating a closing date with the attorney who will be handling this transaction as well as researching the cost of having the 14 acres surveyed. I'll get the buyers two estimates.

I always feel a sense of relief when the home inspection goes well. Nobody wants to find out that the home they fell in love with has major structural problems. Our cabin was originally purchased as a shell. The current owners were finishing the interior but were forced to put the house on the market incomplete. My buyers are looking forward to finishing it. Kevin, our inspector, said the house needs some normal maintenance and obviously, needs to be completed - and that includes some plumbing issues, some electrical, flooring and the huge vaulted ceiling in the great room needs drywall. Of course, the unfinished state of the house was taken into consideration when negotiating the sale.

By the time we get to our closing day, I will have spent many, many hours with my buyers, walking them through every step of the transaction. I still have much to do and coordinate before we get to that day.