Loudoun Stats

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3

Real Estate Commission Analysis Seriously Flawed
2007-10-11 17:33:00
Over at the Inman Blog they wrote a post about the new Department of Justice website that addresses their issues with competition in the real estate industry. It shows a chart that illustrates the increase in commissions per transaction since 1998. There are three seriously flawed assumptions that are made in their calculations. First, they state that commissions have remained "relatively flat" during the decade at between 5% and 5.5%. Did they start out at 5% and increase to 5.5%...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Analysis , Commission , Real

Pulte Homes Most; KB Home Least Recommended By Real Estate Agents
2007-10-10 21:41:00
According to a Bank of America survey of real estate agents, Pulte Home s was the most recommended home builder in the 40 major markets surveyed while KB Home was the least recommended. These numbers are important because approximately 40% of new home sales involve a real estate agent. In addition, homebuilders are increasingly reliant on real estate agents as market conditions weaken. Here are the results of the survey: Pulte Homes - 30.2% Toll Brothers - 26.0% Lennar Corp. -...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Agents

When A Showcase Home That Looks Like Crap Is Good
2007-10-09 20:00:00
South Korean sanitation activists will mark the launch of the World Toilet Association by "lifting the lid" on a lavatory-shaped home near Seoul. The "toilet house" has an opening in the center of it with a showcase bathroom located in its center along with other "deluxe toilets" throughout the house. Features ranging from elegant fittings to the latest in water conservation. The house is named Haewoojae, which signifies in Korean "a place of sanctuary where one can solve one's worries"....
More About: Home , Crap , Good , Showcase , Looks

Granite Countertops worth $85,000 in Loudoun County
2007-10-09 01:02:00
One question I get asked frequently by sellers of single family homes is whether or not to upgrade the kitchen countertops to granite. The answer is yes if you want to sell your home for more money. In fact, an...
More About: Statistics , Worth , County , Loudoun County , Wort

Buyers On The Sidelines Hurt Home Prices In Loudoun County
2007-10-06 23:19:00
According to a Bank of America survey of agents, the Washington, DC area (including Loudoun County ) was one of the 5 real estate markets (AZ/CA/FL/NV/DC) that saw the most significant price declines and greatest deterioration in traffic in September. Buyer...
More About: Home , Hurt , Buyers , Loudoun County

Thursday Poll - The Fed's Rate Cut and Your Decision To Buy A House
2007-10-04 06:01:00
The Fed recently cut their rate by 50 basis points and the cut has had mixed reviews. Although many say that the cut wasn't due to slowing buyer demand, we're curious as to whether it has had any impact on...
More About: House , Poll , Decision , Thursday , A House

Loudoun County Public Schools Don't Make List Of Most Challenging To Studen
2007-10-03 17:05:00
Sixteen schools in the DC/MD/VA area made the Top 100 list of the 2007 Washington Post Challenge Index, but none were from Loudoun County . The index measures a public high school's effort to challenge its students. The rating is not...
More About: Schools , Public , List , Make

Thursday Poll - What did the Mortgage Crisis do to Loudoun County Home Pric
2007-09-28 17:11:00
In the third quarter of this year, the biggest story in real estate was the Mortgage Crisis. And while the majority of the attention was given to sub-prime loans, the rates for jumbo loans (mortgages over $417,000) spiked up during...
More About: Home , Poll , County , Thursday

Preliminary Home Sales Data for September Very Weak for Loudoun County
2007-09-28 16:25:00
Loudoun County home sales for the month of September will more than likely be the lowest in almost 5 years. With only 2 days left in the month, total sales for Loudoun County stand at 215 and will finish somewhere...
More About: Sales , Home , Data

Mortgage 101 - Closing Costs and Good Faith Estimates
2007-09-28 12:30:00
Home buyers who obtain a mortgage have to pay "closing costs". Closing costs is the general term used to describe the various fees and expenses paid in order to obtain a mortgage. As a general rule of thumb, closing costs...
More About: Faith , Mortgage , Good , Lending , Costs

One Loudoun, Future Home Of World Trade Center Dulles Airport, Breaks Groun
2007-09-26 06:50:00
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and other government and business leaders broke ground this week on the "One Loudoun" project, which is the future home of the World Trade Center Dulles Airport . One Loudoun, a joint venture between Miller and Smith...
More About: World Trade Center , Future , Home

Crash Course In Loudoun County Foreclosures, Short-Sales and REO
2007-09-17 17:09:00
As foreclosures, short sales and REO (Real Estate Owned/Bank Owned) properties increase, so do the number of investors. Loudoun County has seen a sharp increase in "distressed" properties and more and more investors are popping up, as well as buyers...
More About: Foreclosures , Sales , Crash , Short

How To Save 30 Percent on Title Insurance When Buying A Home or Refinancing
2007-09-15 20:49:00
All home buyers have fees to pay associated with the purchase of property of which Title Insurance is a part. And it's expensive. Based on a $450,000 property (the median sales price of a home in Ashburn, Virginia), the cost...
More About: Buying , Home , Mortgage , Save

Warning To Sellers: Having A Ratified Contract Does Not Mean You'll Actuall
2007-09-14 17:05:00
If you're a home seller in Loudoun County who has a ratified contract on their property, you're probably elated. Buyers are getting harder and harder to come by, let alone getting one to buy your particular house. But don't rejoice...
More About: Mortgage , Contract , Warning , Sellers , Lending

Thursday Poll - Will the Fed Lower Rates?
2007-09-13 16:52:00
Next Tuesday the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee will meet to discuss the economy. It is widely anticipated that they will make a change to the Fed Funds Rate. What do you think they will do?
More About: Poll , Thursday , Lower , Rates , The Fed

Loudoun County Assessed Values vs. Actual Values
2007-09-13 16:41:00
In 2005, the Loudoun County Assesors Office made an announcement that the goal of the county was to assess the homes in Loudoun County at 100% of their actual value. Previous to this proclamation the assessed values had lagged behind...
More About: Values

The Carnival of Real Estate - Resources And Info About Real Estate From Top
2007-09-10 22:31:00
The Carnival of Real Estate (CoRE) was created in order to bring together the best real estate bloggers from around the country (and world) to share information about what we?re all passionate about: real estate. Each week, a different blog...
More About: Resources , Real Estate , Tech

IRS to Auction off House in Ashburn, Land in Great Falls
2007-09-08 14:02:00
According to a letter I received via snail mail and addressed to "Loudoun Stats", the IRS is "seeking to redeem and sell" a single family home in Ashburn. If anyone is interested in purchasing the property there is a phone...
More About: House , Auction , Great , Land , Falls

Condo Owners-You Still Need Your Own Insurance
2007-09-07 14:00:00
If you're a condo owner and think that the master insurance policy provided by your condominium association provides you with all the protection you need, you may want to read the fine print. Master insurance policies cover "limited common elements"...
More About: Insurance , Condo , Owners

Thursday Poll: Pick an Agent
2007-09-06 14:35:00
In the last 12 to 18 months, the Internet has surpassed print advertising as the number one source of real estate marketing in many areas of the country. Loudoun County is no exception. The print ads in the local papers...
More About: Agent , Poll , Thursday , Pick , Gent

14% of Homes Listed in Ashburn are Foreclosures
2007-09-04 23:53:00
A search of the 551 active listings in Ashburn showed 78 properties were either owned by a bank or lender, in pre-foreclosure or short-sale candidates. This represents 14% of the current homes available for sale in the local MLS. Of...
More About: Economics , Foreclosures , Homes , Listed

Thursday Poll - The Solar Home
2007-08-30 20:48:00
There is no end to the number of articles, books and movies regarding the earths resources and how we are using up more than can be replenished. From Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" to Leonardo DiCaprio's "The 11th Hour", the issue...
More About: Solar , Home , Poll , Thursday

Home Improvements and Your Return On Investment
2007-08-30 20:08:00
So you've made some improvements and upgrades in/on your property within the last year. Now, you're going to sell your property and are curious as to what you'll get back in value from the improvements you've made. Or maybe you're...
More About: Investment , Home , Return , Improv , Home Improvements

Virginia Circuit Court Rules In Favor of NVTA and Increase In Grantor's Tax
2007-08-28 22:19:00
Based on a press release we obtained today from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), it looks like another hurdle has been cleared in order to increase the Grantor's Tax and other fees in the region. Today, Virginia Circuit Court ...
More About: Rules , Loudoun County