Real Estate Planning For Your Business If you are interested in setting up a business or even if you are already running a business, you likely have a business plan. I hope you do, anyway. Business plans are very important in helping a business owner succeed. A business plan presents an overview of the business […]

What Are Tenants Required To Do? What Rights Do Tenants Have? The short answer is: A lot. Rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords are set forth in many statutes, regulations, and other governances. Many tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities are also set forth in the lease ratified by tenants and landlords. While […]

IMPORTANT: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities as Tenants and Landlords What are the rights of tenants and landlords? What are the responsibilities of tenants and landlords?Where can you find information about what tenants and landlords are required to do? We can start with the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act. That name sounds important, yes? The […]

Do You Really Know About Home Inspections? Are You Sure…? Do you really know what home inspections are?  Do you know that buyers may not be entitled to home inspections?  What does it mean to have home inspections?  Why have home inspections? There is a very important legal principle in Virginia that real estate buyers, […]

What is the job of a real estate agent?  Most people will tell me that a real estate agent’s job is to help someone buy or sell their home.  Many will further refer to helping with the paperwork.  Ugh.  Before I became a real estate agent – I am a real estate broker now – […]

How Do I Choose The Right Investment Property?  Is All Commercial Real Estate Good To Own? There is a lot of commercial real estate and it varies greatly in style, use, size, location, and cost.  It also varies in investment potential.  “…varies in investment potential…”?  Yup.  Investment potential varies due to this diversity in the […]

Does being financially ready for retirement sound good?  Does passive income that requires little work sound good?  Does additional income now sound good?  There is a lot of potential with investing in real estate, if done wisely. When is a good time to invest in real estate?  Anytime can be good, seriously.  The details of […]

Home buyers typically do not get much time to see the homes they will buy.  That’s not always good, yet it is real.  Generally, buyers will see a home for the first time during a “showing” which is a visit to a home while it is still for sale.  The next visit may be during […]

Homes in Property Owners’ Associations are special.  The more common terms that may be familiar to us are “Homeowners Association” and “Condo Association”. These communities have some legally protected self-management and self-policing authorities.  This can include rules and requirements for home design, yard configuration and maintenance, fencing, use and activity, buying and selling and renting, […]

Down Payment Assistance The Virginia Housing Agency (formerly Virginia Housing Development Authority) provides home buyers with grants to cover up to 15% of a home loan.  The VHA is a self-supporting not-for-profit organization formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to help Virginians with home ownership.  The VHA provides home loans, down payment assistance, training, and […]

Is this real?  Can a home buyer actually ask a home seller to give them money? Seller Concessions are monies a seller provides a buyer to cover a portion, and sometimes all, closing costs.  Wow, sellers giving money to buyers…  I wonder if I can get the car dealer to give me money to buy […]

USDA home loans help a lot of people buy homes.  Don’t be confused with USDA’s reference to “rural development”.  That does not mean you can only buy land hundreds of miles to no-where.  Although that does sound peaceful, doesn’t it.  USDA home loans can be used in many areas including by big cities and metro […]

My Lender Told Me I Can’t Get A Loan To Buy That Condo! …not with a VA-guaranteed or FHA loan anyway. Why not?  VA and FHA will only support home loans for buying condos in condo communities they approve. Military personnel are generally permitted to obtain VA-guaranteed loans for buying a home.  The loan is […]

Why Do You Need Home Loan Pre-Approval So Early? Consulting with a home loan lender is one of the first steps in searching for a home to buy.  In fact, it should be the first step.  Don’t consider this a mere suggestion.  Consider it a requirement.  Really. It is very important to have a loan […]

Disabled Vets Living In Virginia May Not Have To Pay Taxes On Their Home – New Law Coming On 1 July 2023 On 1 January 2011, Virginia’s Constitution was amended to provide for full tax exemption on disabled veterans’ primary residences.  Their surviving spouses are also eligible for this benefit.  A new law is going […]