Is the Real Estate Market in the DC Metro Area Cooling a Bit?

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It’s no secret that for much of the nation the real estate marketplace has been a flurry of activity. Combine that with the fact that our inventory levels have been collectively very sparse and you begin to see just how crazy things have been.

But as we move closer to summer, particularly in the DC metro area, a lot of neighborhoods are starting to see a slight slowdown in that activity. It does not mean that we are suddenly experiencing a housing surplus, nor does it indicate a shift away from the current sellers’ marketplace. What it does mean is that people are starting to focus on things other than buying homes.

Buyer Activity Slows Down, Inventory Picks Up

Inventory levels are slightly on the rise. This could be a combination of sellers adding their homes to the mix after seeing all the fast-moving inventory that has been going on for the past several months, with slowed down buyer movement.

Summer Still the Second Busiest Time for Real Estate

The DC marketplace traditionally ranks busiest in the spring and then fall, followed by summer then finally winter in terms of real estate sales volume. So as we transition toward the summer and as folks get busier with graduations, summer vacations, sports and other warm-weather activities – we can expect to see a die down of real estate action.

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As always, we are here for you when you decide to make a move. If you are looking for a great place and haven’t been able to find it – let us know! We’ll dig deep into our database and connect you with the perfect home (even if it’s not on the market right now). And if selling is on your mind – give us a call. We’d be happy to share of the great success stories we’ve got on our belt.

Hidden Home Inventory; How We’re Helping Buyers Find Homes in Today’s Highly Competitive Marketplace

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These days finding a home is like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are WAY too many buyers compared to the number of homes available for them to choose from. But that doesn’t stop us from achieving success for our clients!

Sure, we scour the MLS then search high and low for all other options but at the end of the day, everyone’s doing that. That’s when the Rob Chevez Team breaks out our secret arsenal – a hidden home inventory list that gets you into homes that most buyers will never get to set their eyes on.

Let’s face it, today’s market is definitely one where buyers have to pull out all stops. We’re seeing everything from multiple offers, super high earnest deposits, waiving of contingencies and even buyers sending personal cards and letters to the seller!

Consider this: what would you do if you were selling your home and you had a stack of offers sitting in front of you? You’d prioritize them and put them in order of highest to lowest price, right? But what if we told you that you could bypass the homes that are getting all the offers and go straight to properties that are lurking around the marketplace instead of in it?

You already know that we are “outside the box “thinkers. We like to do things differently so we stand out (in a good way). But the real reason is that it gets you, our clients, the best possible outcome. So when it comes to making sure our buyers find what they are looking for in today’s crazy market, here are just a few of the things we do to go out there and grab the inventory you want:

Call neighborhoods where you want to buy, seeking homeowners on the fence about selling

Network with other top agents that have mile-long client lists, including potential sellers

Go after listings that fell off the market and haven’t made it back on yet

We have a list of 20 different ways to help our buyers find homes – and each one of them is unique, effective and it gets the job done. We realize that in this industry, at this time, in today’s marketplace – we have to be completely proactive or we’d be doing a disservice to our buyers.

So what are you waiting for? Get started by checking out this link >>

The DC Market is ON FIRE!

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Here we are in the second quarter of 2013 and things are so hot, you’d think it’s the middle of summer! The truth is that our marketplace is enjoying a frenzy of activity and it could not have come at a better time. Scores of buyers are out there scrambling to get the home of their dreams; whether to beat the inevitable interest rate incline (which WILL happen) or to find their home to move in before summer.

Excellent Time for Sellers

Right now, sellers are getting more offers on their homes than ever – often causing artificial inflation of prices and resulting in at or beyond list price. This means that it’s a GREAT time to list your home! The only challenge is that it might sell too fast!

Team RC Gets a New Partner

Introducing Dave Zimmerman, our newest listing partner on hand to help us with all this activity in our marketplace. Dave is a veteran in the sales arena and brings over 25 years of high-tech sales experience to the table. He’s really excited to be joining our team and we’re super glad to have him!

Deal of the Week

This week we present a fantastic opportunity to build your dream home in the coveted Oak Hills subdivision among million dollar homes or choose to stick with the existing farm house on the property and extend it to your liking. You’ll love the serene setting of this over 1-acre lot that sits amongst the community’s most desired location, school district and access point. You will love what’s happening to land values in the area too. On Bennett Road, in Herndon, VA this is a GREAT find. Call us today to take a tour!

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As always, we LOVE the business of real estate and if you have something you’re interested in doing, contact us today so we can get started on helping make your goals materialize. We look forward to meeting you!

A CASH Course in U.S. Housing Economics

 

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Home sales are now back to 2007 levels but mortgage activity is not. This is because 36% of all homes purchased last year were purchased in CASH. Large financial institutions like Blackstone Group have been looking for a better yield and their analysis has lead them to rental housing. With Increased pricing and the possibility of interest rates creeping up that yield may soon not look as appealing as it did a few years ago. This could mean that investors start putting their properties on the market for a hefty return.

Currently the inventory is LOW!! So if you are thinking about selling now would be the time to do it. Call our team for a no obligation market analysis of your home and remember - we guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less or we will sell it for FREE! 

www.RCsoldin60.com
Check out the article below for all the details.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578334503316298618.html

January 2013 Market Update

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There is one thing that all real estate professionals in our area can attest to; the market is very active! We are seeing many buyers out there that are eager to lock in the amazing interest rates still hovering at historic lows. Sellers are enjoying the advantage of having more buyers vying for the relatively few homes available for sale currently.

Slow, Steady Shift Toward a Seller’s Market

Right now, in some areas of our region we are experiencing a shift toward a sellers’ marketplace, allowing homeowners to be able to achieve at or more of asking price. This is possible when we see multiple offers coming in on the same property, artificially inflating prices and generating some “hype” over the home. Particularly prevalent for homes that are priced well and marketed correctly, this is one of the driving factors making local real estate thrive right now.

Inventory of Homes Continues to Dwindle

As we continue to see so much action, the number of available homes on the market for sale keeps declining. This is making it very challenging for buyers. With things moving as quickly as they are, some buyers are not finding they have enough time. It is critical for them to be working with very proactive and accessible real estate agents that not only know the market well and follow it closely but also have alternative sources for homes that may not be listed.

Interest Rates Still Hovering at Historic Lows

We’ve seen interest rates lower than they have been before and the Fed has announced that they will stay at this low level for at least a while longer, until the unemployment rate drops below 6.5% or until there is a significant change in inflation.

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In general, everyone is feeling better about real estate. Whether this is because the Fiscal Cliff debate is over, or that interest rates are making it a great time to buy. We invite you to contact us if you’d like to explore your real estate options and move toward making your goals become a reality. We look forward to meeting you!

We Guarantee We’ll Sell Your Home or We’ll Sell It for Free

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Time is money and money is time.

So naturally when you decide to sell your home, we understand that you want it done fast and you want the most money possible for it. Our listing guarantee is designed to do just that – GUARANTEE we’ll deliver those results that you deserve.

How can we so boldly declare that we’re sure we’ll sell your home? Easy. Just take a look at our track record. Not only do we often sell our clients’ homes in less than two weeks but also we love achieving 100% of your asking price (or darn close to it) when we do! Know what this translates to in dollars and cents? A couple percentage points more than the average market’s selling price actually means almost $11,000 more dollars IN YOUR POCKET on average.

We don’t just happen upon these great numbers – we make them happen. Combining social media, video and compelling advertising that powerfully pulls the right buyers in – thousands of buyers. In fact, more than 350 websites will have your listing all over them, so that when a buyer goes searching for homes they WILL see yours.

You won’t believe some of our examples – so check out our video and remember, if you want your home sold fast and sold for more – get in touch with the Rob Chevez Real Estate Team.

703.651.6735

Rob Speaks on the Business Focus Show

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Recently, Amy Marlow of Business Focus invited our very own Rob Chevez to speak to today’s real estate market. Among other things, they discussed the myriad short sales still out there and how Rob and his team have turned it into an opportunity to help and serve others.

He mentions that many agents shy away from doing short sales, largely because of the seemingly bad reputation of how long it takes to process them. But at a time when we are finally turning around the market and moving into a better phase for our local housing industry, Rob says his team finds the job very rewarding.

It hasn’t come easy; he says, with the need first to develop systems in place as well as designated team members dedicated to certain areas of specialty within the business of real estate. That specialization is one of the reasons they are able to provide pinpoint service to their clients.

The team consists of Rob Chevez, the lead listing agent – as well as several buyers’ agents and an administrative function. The areas of specific expertise allow this team to focus on clients’ needs and provide the highest level of individualized service. The team then implements careful systems designed to streamline the short sale and other transactions, making it as quick and painless as possible for all their clients. They institute a proactive method of conducting business as opposed to the typical industry standard of reactive methods.

Chevez talks about how the ever-changing market has gone from bad to better to finally livable in terms of the number of distressed properties on the market. In fact, he cites that in 2010 there were 253 such properties listed in the greater Reston area, whereas in 2011 the number dropped to 190. So far this year even fewer still distressed properties at just 98.

He attributes much of his firm’s success in handling the countless short sales they handle with a tighter system within the short sale industry coupled with banks’ willingness and eagerness to quickly resolve most outstanding short sales out there. “Banks realize that it makes no sense to drag the short sale process and they do it by getting the seller, buyer and the lender to agree – making it work for everyone,” Chevez stated.

For more information, or to sit down with the Chevez Team to explore your options, visit the website at www.RobertChevez.com or connect with them via telephone or various social media sites – all noted on the company website.