Archive for the 'Buying in Reston' Category

Don't let the few ruin it for all

It’s just sad…we’re a hair above used car salesman. The worst thing about it is that by in large—I know the reputation has been earned.

It’s probably always the case that the stinkers are always the ones you hear about—the agents that do it right, that work hard—that really do put your interests ahead of their own, they’re boring no one wants to hear about them, but they are out there.

If you are in the market for an agent here’s a list of things that will help you weed out the good from the not so good.

Full Time Agent

• Given how tough the market is a lot of agents are not working full time as real estate agents. If you are the person responsible for putting food on the table and making ends meet you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do; but if you’re hiring someone to sell your house you need someone whose head is in the game full time; who can return calls in a timely manner and who can respond as needed. Real Estate is a demand driven business—and mostly it’s someone else’s demands.

Technology Savvy

• While real estate is still a relational business if your agent can’t expose your property in a sophisticated technological way, keep looking. Your agent should have a strong web presence in the market that they serve. It should be easy to find your agent online and it should be even easier to find your agent’s listings.

Added Value

• Competitive pressure should create a higher level of service. We all have to do everything we can to stand out from the crowd. Your agent should be an expert in their market; they should help make your home the very best, most appealing product it can be. That includes

1. Helping you price it right
2. Recommending improvements
3. Offering staging
4. Producing beautiful print and digital materials
5. Exposing the property to the broadest possible market and to the appropriate “move up” market,  and pretty much anything else that it takes to get the house soldIf they only offer you a discount in commission—well I guess that’s all they have to offer and that’s something your should think about.

Honesty

• Obviously your agent should be honest but more importantly you and your agent need to have a relationship that is based on the ability to have an open honest exchange of ideas and information—even when the information being relayed doesn’t make you happy.  If you have your agent walking on eggshells then you’re not going to get the best from your agent. If you feel like you can’t trust them then don’t hire them.

It’s always surprising to me to see an intensely negative attitude applied to a whole profession—Real Estate is like everything else—if you’re  not  satisfied with the service you vote with your feet. Find an agent that merits your business—and be willing to pay for the service.

I suspect that a big part of the horror story scenarios are in part a function of people seeking the bargain before they understand the level of service that’s needed to effectively get the job done…and if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Send me your experiences!

Retire in Reston or move to a 55+ Community?

Rick and Bob

A few days ago I received an email from a newly retired person who was trying to decide where to settle.

He is 72, ready to move out of the larger single family home in Alexandria and move into something that will be less work.  His question to me was simple. “What does Reston have to offer to a person that is entering into this phase of life?” It’s an interesting question and, as it turns out Reston has a lot to offer.

First and foremost being that Reston’s original design principles called for people to be able to stay put, meaning people should be able to change housing type as their needs change but not have to leave the community. From a real estate perspective Reston has everything to offer from townhouses to condos to smaller ranch style single family homes that allow you to do the vast majority of your living on one level.

One natural outgrowth of the design principle that gave us such diversity in housing types is that our amenities have grown and expanded to serve the needs of our evolving population. Reston Association and Reston Community Center have a variety of programs from classes and activities to performing arts that serve the entirety of our population. Reston is also home to an Osher Life Long Learning Institute group that meets at Lake Anne Plaza.

Kayaking to the Concert on Lake Anne

Another defining characteristic of Reston is that it has always has been a community of active participation–there is always something to do or to be done. We live in clusters and condos that all have Boards. There’s GRACE, the greater Reston Arts Center,  and the Historic Trust, and Reston Association. There are committees for any number of community events that need active support. You can be as involved as you want to be.

So I think the answer is yes, Reston would be a great place to retire to—I don’t know how many of our Seniors came here expressly to retire. I would suspect that most started as younger people that have lived and worked here and are now retiring here.

We are a community that values our long relationships, but we will welcome new ones as well.