Harrisonburg Real Estate Guru

Regency Park – One Level Townhouses That Beat the Competition

 Outstanding Quality Townhouses at Affordable Prices

If you are looking for a great townhouse in a great location, Regency Park is for you.  Regency Park is one level living at it’s best…. no steps, no problem! 

These days most people either begin home ownership in a townhouse or their last home is a downsize into a townhouse. Pricing for this type of home is usually better than that of  a single family home, so it makes sense that first time home buyers often find themselves in a townhouse.  The usual configuration of a townhouse is a narrow dwelling, oriented up and down, with levels linked with lots of staircases.  That’s not a problem for most people; but what if you would like a quality affordable home without the stairs?  Then, Regency Park is for you.  Regency Park Standard Features: 

INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

• 9-Foot Ceiling Height
• Choice of three standard colors for wall paint
• White interior doors & trim
• Electric heat pump & central air with upgraded puron refrigerant
• Finished garage, paint & trim
• Two panel roman interior doors with lever action door handles
• Ceiling fan/light in bedrooms and great room
• Storage area in attic, accessed by pull-down stairs

Level Living in Harrisonburg Near EMU and VMRC

KITCHEN

• Custom made oak or cherry cabinets with choice of door style
• Granite counter tops with under mount sinks
• Garbage disposal
• Choice of package General Electric appliances
• Recessed lights

BATHROOMS

• Shower unit with built-in seat and reinforcement for grab bars
• Bath accessories to match fixtures
• Tube skylight in master bath

FLOOR COVERINGS

• Three standard choices of hardwood in great room, dining, hall, and bonus room
• Ceramic tile in foyer, kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms
• Choice of carpet in bedrooms with 8lb pad

EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

• Anderson double pane, double hung “low E” glass windows
• Metal insulated garage door with windows, one garage door opener
• Brick and premium low-maintenance vinyl siding
• Rear patio

Custom Cabinets and Optional Stainless Steel Appliances 

Den Area

Dollar for dollar, you will be hard pressed to find the quality and value of these fine homes at a lower price. 

Call me today for your personal tour, and see why people are talking about Regency Park.

Barry Suttles – Realtor

www.BestValleyHomes.com

KlineMay Realty

Licensed in the commonwealth of Virginia

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

Harrisonburg’s Blizzard of 2010 Creates a Snowstorm of Real Estate Interest

Harrisonburg Real Estate News and Commentary

THROUGH RAIN SNOW, SLEET, HAIL, A REALTOR’S JOB…….

I know how important it is that we get our mail, and the creed for the mail carrier is a familiar one, but you might not apply it to my line of work. You might just think that after repeated snowfalls that caused cancellations of nearly everything, accumulations measured in feet, that people would not be interested in going out and looking for a new homes- you’d be wrong and so was I.  

The day following our 19″ + snowstorm I received a phone call from clients asking me if it would be possible to see some houses in the Harrisonburg area.  I had just settled in my home after shoveling out my own sidewalk and driveway and my back was already hollering “uncle”.  But as I considered it, I recalled my father saying  “you should make hay while the sun is shinning”. So even with no sun shinning, I agreed to make some appointments and much to my amazement many sellers out there were anxious for me to bring my clients to see their homes on this snow swept and cold winter’s day.  Trekking through what looked like Minneapolis rather than Harrisonburg Virginia, I showed seven homes that day.  

One of the homes I toured that day was a foreclosure on nearly 2 acres. This stately home set in the middle of the nearly 2 acres and was vacant. The snow plows had created a five foot wall between the house, my investor client, and me. We decided we would slog through the back of the property in order to get to the front.  The white fluffy snow was up around our knees and higher as neared the house and I never felt more out of shape. No one had shoveled the lovely semi circular driveway and the grand front entrance had drifted to three feet deep. Even with all of this, we were able to see this house and the buyer put in an offer and the anxious seller accepted it. Both the buyer and the seller were happy that we ventured out in the snow that day. 

A few days later the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County area received another storm and I again received a call from buyers wanting to see houses in the Harrisonburg area. This time I showed five homes and wrote another offer!   

Two storms plus 20″+ of snow =  2 offers in that week-  go figure.  I guess my wise old father dad was right.  There is never a bad time to buy and sell a home.  If you are buying or selling a home in Harrisonburg or the surrounding area, call me for a no obligation interview.  I can help you achieve your goals and I’m anxious to serve you no matter the weather!  

Barry Suttles - REALTOR  

Kline May Realty  

540-246-5666 anytime mobile  

540-437-3671 office  

www.BestValleyHomes.com

Buying a New Home In Harrisonburg, Virginia?

Harrisonburg Real Estate Guru

If you are buying a home in the Harrisonburg Virginia area, you’re in luck.  There is an abundance of very nice homes at every price point and there are some real bargains.  

 An example of a great deal on a home is this example. This home is really spectacular with over 7000 square feet of incredible space this home boasts 5 bedroom and 5 and a half bathrooms.  All brick construction this exquisitely crafted home is situated on 5 acres in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with country views, a stream running through the back border of the property and convenience to Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and Waynesboro. Generous sized rooms with indoor and outdoor recreation space makes this a once in a lifetime purchase. Stellar views, Security System,gym,steam shower,home theatre,granite kitchen,studio, game room and more. 

Incredible Home Deal - GONE

 But alas it is gone. And it sold…..hold on……are you sitting down?… for $700,000 when it was originally listed at $1,399,000.00.  Now that is a bargain.  Less than $100 / per sq. ft. in a top notch luxury home. 

Buying a home in the Harrisonburg area has never been better and if you are seeking the services of a highly trained and proven professional Realtor, call me.  I can help you find deals just like this one, but they are moving fast, so don’t wait or you’ll miss them.

Barry Suttles - REALTOR

Kline May Realty

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

540-437-3671 office

www.BestValleyHomes.com

Playing Chess, Time Machines, Beauty Contests, and Ugly Children

Harrisonburg Real Estate News and Commentary

HGTV Can’t Sell Your House

Many people these days are wondering why the home they have loved and enjoyed has been on the market for many days and months without a contract….without a sale. One woman said to me, “I have had a professional designer stage my home, and I had a landscaper help to create the curb appeal HGTV said was so important.”  “We listed our home with professionals, and we have done everything you have asked without success.” “What are we doing wrong?”  She was doing a lot, but the most important thing that lures buyers to your home is price. She priced her home too high and then wouldn’t take sound advice to lower it to market price.

It’s a Chess Game and You Are Protecting Your King

Staging, curb appeal, and all of the other HGTV buzzwords are only a small part of what ultimately helps to sell a home. Like a game of chess there are a number of winning strategies you can employ.  But, protecting your king (price) so fiercely that you ultimately fail to achieve the goal of selling your home is ridiculous and a game loser. Your king may have to move to win the game!  Why are you wasting your time, and your Realtor’s time marketing a wonderful property when you really are not ready to sell?  When you have had your property listed for months with no bona fide offers or interest in your home, what makes you think that holding your price steady will sell your home? It has been rejected by the market! Ouch! 

It’s the bigger sucker theory at play, hugh?  You know the one I’m talking about….there must be someone out there so stupid that they won’t know my home is overpriced.  Likewise a strategy of reducing the price over time while following a retracting market is even more fool-hearty. You’re chasing your opponents queen all over the chess board with your pawn….another losing strategy.  If you consider the time value of money you will find that holding out for a price actually costs you money in the long run.  Like the true chess-master you need to see all the angles of the board in order to beat your opponent (that pretty little rancher or cape cod down the street) and secure that elusive buyer in today’s market.

A Time Machine Would be Helpful Right Now

In a buyer’s market where there are many sellers in competition, your best move is to price your home aggressively below the market right from the start.   Also keep in mind that all of the money you think you’ve made as your home appreciated in value over the years fluctuates up and down.  No real gain is recognized until you actually sell!  So if you are agonizing over the fact that your home would have sold for more money 3 or 4 years ago, try building a time machine, go back, and sell. That will be easier than trying to convince a savvy buyer, who has all of the information of the internet at their disposal, to pay you more today.  No one should try to time the market, buying and selling your home in order to make quick money.  This is a strategy best utilized in the stock market and even there should be done over a long term. 

More Than Just a Beauty Contest

Many people make the mistake of believing “..my house is better, bigger, nicer, newer, prettier, etc.. than they guy’s across the street, so I’ll be able to get more than he got.”  We all think our children are more beautiful than anyone else’s children. Is that the truth or are we deluding ourselves?  Where did all of us ugly people come from?  (Come on….my mother used to tie a pork chop around my neck so that the dog would play with me, but she thought I was beautiful.) Just because you added this upgrade or that addition to your home,.. or built and painted that,..your home will not necessarily sell for more. 

Case in point, I sold a house to someone who installed a beautiful pool soon after they purchased.  Years later they asked me to help them sell their home. We eventually sold it to someone who really loved everything about the home, but the pool.  The new purhaser wanted to pay less for the home because they saw a pool as a liability and they subsequently had it filled in. 

So remember, home buying is more about emotion to the buyer and seller than any other purchase in our lives. Which brings me to my final point…….

Hire a Professional to Help You to Win the Contests

Emotions aside, buying and selling a home is often the most significant financial event in our lives.  After you have uttered these words, “I think I would like to sell my home”, or “I think it is time to buy a home”, the next step is to hire a professional who will put emotions aside and guide you through the myriad of complex processes and negotiations with a goal of insuring you get your best deal. It will pay you dividends in the long run.

Barry Suttles - REALTOR

Kline May Realty

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

540-437-3671 office

www.BestValleyHomes.com 

Buying a Home- An Investment or A Place to Live?

Harrisonburg Real Estate Guru - News and Commentary You Can Use

Buying a home?  Well… why are you buying a home?  Are you buying a home to sell at a huge profit in a few years?  Not so fast! 

You should be buying a home to live in and to enjoy with friends and family and hope that one day it will be worth more someday.  A home is a utilitarian product and should not be viewed as a short term investment vehicle.  However, the people of America were deceived into believing that real estate was much like the stock market, or other financial markets, where you could buy and sell, over and over, (churning) and make some good money.  Like the dot-com boom, and other similar financial booms, there is always a bust.  Unfortunately today we are experiencing the bust in real estate.  Easy money and loose credit created an environment where many speculated and some made money but an awful lot of people were left holding nothing but the bag.  Such is nearly always the case in these “gold rushes”. 

Location, location, location it is said, is the most important aspect or attribute of real estate. Well our area has watched much of our market remain nearly unchanged because of our location and because of the conservative nature of its population.  This is not an insignificant thing to be considered if you are thinking of relocating or retiring soon. 

The long and short is that the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County area is a great place to live, and if you are considering a move, I’d love to speak to you.  

Barry Suttles – Realtor 

540-246-5666 mobile anytime 

Kline May Realty

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

Harrisonburg Real Estate News and Commentary You Can Use

The Unemployment Insurance bill President Obama signed on November 13 included included a change critical for Realtors^®: An extension of the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit. Income limits have been raised, and now some existing homeowners can also claim a credit if they buy a new home.

The basics:

• To claim any credit, buyers must have a contract by April 30, 2010 and close by July 1, 2010.
• The income limit has been raised to $225,000 for couples.
• First-time buyers can claim an $8,000 credit, as before.
• Buyers who already own the home they are selling (or have sold), and have lived there for five of the past eight years can claim up to a $6,500 tax credit (on homes worth $800,000 or less).
• Both credits apply only to primary residences.

Barry Suttles – Realtor

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

New Homes Group – Kline May Realty

Your email:

 

The Best Client is a Happy One

Harrisonburg Real Estate Guru

I really love this business.  The best part for me, is when I get feedback from a satisfied client!  I set my personal standards for quality representation extremely high because I think my clients deserve to have an agent who:

•  returns their calls promptly
•  keeps them in the loop with frequent multiple contact channels
• gives them honest and easily understood feedback about market conditions without a bunch silly charts and graphs
• gets them quick and reliable results

Let’s face it, you have many choices.  You can choose anybody to market and sell your home, or you can choose to hire a proven and reliable professional who will work diligently to further your financial goals.  My business is about long lasting relationships and important connections. If you are buying or selling a house in Harrisonburg, or the surrounding areas, you owe it to yourself to be represented by a proven professional.  Call me!

Barry Suttles – Realtor

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

New Homes Group – Kline May Realty

http:\\www.BestValleyHomes.com

Last One Out of New Jersey, Turn Out the Lights

Low Taxes, Business Friendly, and a Great Place to Live!

New Jersey has just elected a new Governor. A lower tax, smaller government, pro free enterprise Republican.  In such a blue blue state there must be a reason people have made Chris Christie their new Governor. One reason could be that property tax in New Jersey is among the highest in the nation. That also may be the reason that I have sold 3 homes in the last year or two to fine people from New Jersey.

Our own Shenandoah Valley is a great place to live and work and when I tell folks from “up north” the rate for our taxes, they think I’m lying.  One lady said, “you must have slipped a decimal or something”.

There are many natural reasons to move to our area but the low cost of living here compared to a state like New Jersey can’t be overstated. Fugit about it!

Barry Suttles – Realtor

540-246-5666 anytime mobile

Kline May Realty

Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801

Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Harrisonburg Schools – Redistricting

Mom….what school do I go to now? 

Many local people have children in the public schools. And you are probably wondering how the redistricting affects you, and where your son or daughter will go to school.  Well, we here at providencevalley.com want to be of help anytime we can.  So here is a link that may help you and I have some pdf files outlining the maps and school district locations for you to download too if you would like them.

Recipe For Success When Buying a Home

Assemble all of the ingredients

Whether you are cooking in the kitchen, or preparing to buy a home, you need to assemble the proper ingredients.

• Check your credit – call your bank or a mortgage professional, they can help you
• If your credit is good, set up an appointment to meet and discuss your mortgage needs
• Once you have an idea of the amount of money you can spend on a home, call a reputable Realtor and set an appointment with him/her and let them know what is important to you

Now you have all of the ingredients for a successful home search and a subsequent purchase.

Mix and allow to work

You have now assembled a team of professionals to work for you.  It is now time to allow them to use their tools and expertise to your advantage.  That does not mean that you sit back and wait for a home to fall in you lap. But now that you have these highly motivated individuals in place you can begin the search for that perfect home.

It is important that the Realtor you choose knows exactly what you want in your next home. Set up a folder that you take with you on every trip with your agent.  In the folder you will have a checklist that you will create that will list all of the important factors of your next home.  You’ll need to include items like:

• Neighborhood – (close to parks, close to shopping, close to work, etc.)
• Number of beds and baths
• Number of square feet needed
• Garage, parking, public transit etc.
• other important items

On the checklist keep track of each house you visit and take copious notes. These notes will be helpful if you have several houses that are in the running to be “your house”.  Use them after your visits to refresh your memory of the house later.  A good agent will want you to see as many houses as you need to make an informed decision.  If you get pressure from an agent to make a quick decision, run away as fast as you can.

Best served cool

Markets are different and knowing “the temperature” of your market will help you.  In a market where there is stiff competition between sellers you will have a better chance of getting a great deal.  This is where having a knowlegable and passionate agent working for you will be worth a lot when the negotiation for your new home begins.  Although you may begin to have an emotional attachment to a home you are considering, it is good to know that your agent is experienced with making offers and will assist you in preparing an attractive one.  Always remember, if you have asked an agent to assist you in purchasing a home, the agent works for you. You are her client and you can fire them if they are not working with your best interest in mind.

 Enjoy

Now that you have made a successful offer, closed the deal, and are living in your new home…..it is time to enjoy.

Call Barry Suttles – Realtor

540-437-3671

when you need an experienced real estate agent.