Rental application fee limit? Yes, rental application fees for residential tenants are limited in Virginia. Virginia law sets a limit on how much tenant application fees can be. Virginia law sets the application fee limit to $50 per applicant plus additional fees to cover actual expenses incurred by landlords for background checks, credit checks, and […]

Getting your home ready to sell – how much is enough and how much is too much. There is a lot that can be done to ready your home for sale. Sometimes there are home improvement or refresh projects that should be done. Sometimes there isn’t any need to spend the money nor time. The […]

Wood destroying insect inspections for home sales. This is important for home buyers and home sellers. Wood destroying insect inspections (WDI inspections) can reveal costly damage to homes and in some cases they are required. You may have heard of termite inspections. WDI inspections are more encompassing than just looking for termites. In Virginia, WDI […]

Small Business Administration loan programs to buy real estate? Yes. The SBA has two loan programs to help small businesses buy, improve, and build real estate. The SBA 7a loan program can be used to buy and improve real estate. A 7a loan can also be used to refinance an existing loan for real estate. […]

What can be bought with VA-guaranteed home loans? The Department of Veterans Affairs has multiple loan programs to help with home ownership. Let’s review them. Before listing the types of real estate that can be bought with VA-guaranteed loans, let’s understand the initial criteria. Any real estate must be located within the U.S. or U.S. […]

There are many factors to consider in finding property for your business. One of the most important factors, and this is the first one I suggest considering, is researching zoning ordinances. What are zoning ordinances? Zoning ordinances are municipal-level laws that dictate permitted and prohibited uses for individual lots (real estate). Sounding important? Imagine buying […]

Should you buy or lease space for your business? There are advantages for both buying and leasing real estate for your business depending on your own interests. Your interests regarding financing, budget, commitment, and other factors should guide your decision. So, for now, my answer to the question is “it depends”. To make this post […]

Home loan interest rates, don’t worry about them so much. Seriously, don’t focus on them. It is common for most people to focus on the home loan interest rate when thinking about the cost of owning a home.  Perhaps that is because the topic of interest rates is reported in news media a lot.  And […]

Commercial real estate leases. There are different types? Yes there are. The two most common are the Net lease and the Gross lease.  The main difference between a Net lease and a Gross lease is how rent is delineated.  A different type of lease doesn’t mean the content of terms and conditions will be different, […]

Who is responsible for rental property maintenance? Is it the landlord or the tenant, or both? This is an easy question with an easy answer. Both landlords and tenants are responsible. Landlords and tenants share responsibility for maintaining the rental property. But for what maintenance? In Virginia, there are multiple laws that set forth maintenance […]

What Are Home Inspections Really? Let’s learn about home inspections when buying a home in Virginia. There is a legal principal in Virginia called “Caveat Emptor”, more commonly known as “Buyer Beware”.  With this principle, the onus is on a buyer to check out property they may buy.  Sellers have little obligation to disclose information […]

Return On Investment Assessment – Is The Rental Property Worth Buying Which property will make money?  How do we select the right real estate investment?  Whether you want to invest in residential or commercial real estate, assessing the potential return on investment is important.  The information I provide pertains to investing in rental properties that […]

Points to consider when investing in rental properties So…you’re pondering the thought of investing in real estate as a landlord?  Many people do.  Many people succeed with rental properties and quite nicely.  There are also people who don’t succeed, but don’t let that deter you.  I am going to introduce some points for you to […]

Make It Safe. Keep It Safe. Be Safe. Lives can depend on home safety. That’s not hyperbole. Many people are seriously injured or even die in their homes due to an unsafe condition. Landlords may also be liable for injuries incurred by their tenants on the property. Routinely inspect your home and the surrounding property. […]

I Don’t Feel Safe Here. I Gotta Leave! Early Termination of Residential Leases You are a new tenant moving into your rental home. And on that first day your comfort quickly disappears. You discover issues that concern you for your safety and health. What do you do? You signed a lease which is a binding […]

Real Estate Planning For 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 and […]

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 […]

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? IMPORTANT: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities as Tenants and Landlords We can start with the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act. That name sounds important, yes? The […]

Do you know what a home inspection is? Do you know that buyers may not be entitled to home inspections?  What does it mean to have an inspections and why should you have them? Let’s review what a home inspection is. There is a very important legal principle in Virginia that real estate buyers, and […]

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? Investing In Commercial Real Estate 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.  Success potential in […]

Have you thought about investing in real estate? Maybe investing in homes as rental properties, or investing in commercial real estate as rental properties, or investing in land? What is involved in investing in real estate. How does one go about investing in real estate? Investing In Real Estate Does being financially ready for retirement […]

Home Buyer’s Final Walk-Through Before Settlement Day 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.  […]

Buying And Selling In HOA’s and Condo Associations Homes in Property Owners’ Associations are special.  The more common terms that may be familiar to us are “Homeowner Associations” and “Condo Associations”. 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, […]

There are resources for down payment assistance and closing cost assistance to help buy a home. 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 […]

Can home buyers receive money from sellers? Is this real?  Can a home buyer actually ask a home seller to give them money? Can home buyers receive money from sellers? Short answer: Yes. These are typically referred to as “seller concessions”. Seller Concessions are monies a seller provides a buyer to cover a portion, and […]

USDA Home Loans 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 […]

VA and FHA Loans For Condos My Lender Told Me I Can’t Get A Loan To Buy That Condo! Not with a VA-guaranteed or FHA loan anyway… I was told I could use VA and FHA loans for condos. Why not?  VA and FHA will only support home loans for buying condos in condo communities […]

Why Do You Need A Home Loan Pre-Approval 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 homes On 1 January 2011, Virginia’s Constitution was amended to provide for full tax exemption on disabled veterans’ primary residences.  That’s right, disabled vets can be exempt from property taxes on their homes. Their surviving spouses are also eligible for this benefit.  […]