Why Houzz is the new Google search for your home.

Houzz. What is it? Chances are you may not have heard of it. This is just one of the newer tools in the real estate arsenal to get you the consumer more involved if you want to be. Houzz is a cross between Pinterest, Yelp, Amazon, Angies List, Google and a Housing Trends Blog ... I hope that was a good analogy. Houzz is a social network among professionals having to do with anything related to the home. Professionals can be found and reviewed on Houzz, creating an inner network of trusted professionals. I am a huge fan of Yelp but when it comes to anything relating to the home Houzz is the first place I look. Houzz is also a massive interactive consumer database connecting you to the online retailers. Find, Shop and Share on Houzz.

It is a resource to find new trends and ideas for your home and also an online market place for products and services. Many of the pictures you can save and post on Houzz will link to the products in the pictures allowing people like you to purchase them instantly online. Paired up with ApplePay it is now as easy as a click and the product is in the mail and on the way. Houzz is powerful!! If you have not checked out Houzz I urge you to take a look and follow me as I am just getting started as well.

My Houzz Profile Ideabooks

Below is a description from the Houzz website on how founders Adi and Alon started it all.

"When founders Adi and Alon remodeled their home, they started the way these projects often do: with a tall stack of magazines and referrals for home professionals from people they knew. But after those piles of torn out pages failed to make their dream a reality, they felt stuck. There had to be a better way.

So they built Houzz. A place to browse and save beautiful home photos. A place to find the right design and construction professionals. A place to connect with others who have been there too. Houzz started as a side project but has become a community of more than 35 million homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals—across the country and around the world."   - Houzz.com  

Alexandria Live Music Week

150 Shows. 34 Venues. 10 Days. 1 Celebration.

Bacon Brothers will be one of the kick off bands
for Alexandria Live Music Week. They will be playing
 at The Birchmere on the 16, 17 and 18th of July. 

The first ever Alexandria Live Music Week is coming July 10 -19th. Are you going? Count me in.

Music types are ranging from jazz to bluegrass, folk rock and country. Our newest restaurant to enter the Alexandria waterfront food scene (Blackwall Hitch) is hosting 10 of the performances. Other venues including Birchmere music hall, Murphy's Grand Irish Pub, Daniel O'Connell's, the Old Town Farmers Market, Virtue Feed & Grain and St. Elmo's Coffee Pub plus more.

Oh, I did mention 1 Celebration... Alexandria Live Music Week will include the Birthday Celebration of Alexandria on July 11th. Alexandria's 266th birthday will be celebrated with fireworks and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra playing at Oronoco Bay Park at 7pm.

All tickets and costs for the events are determined by the particular venue. 

Venues are in various locations throughout Alexandria.

To find more information visit: www.LiveMusicWeek.com or go to www.AlexandriaLive.com

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com

Update on the current real estate market for Alexandria, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland

Alexandria Old Town 22314
For Alexandria Old Town as earlier suspected we are noticing a slow down in the number of homes going under contract and homes sold from the previous month of May. Currently for the month of June we have 32 homes under contract and 33 Sold. At this rate we are expecting a lower number of contracts for June than we had in May.  Expect for the entire 22314 market to experience a rise in DOM and the average sales to original list price to drop. This shift started to happen extremely quick in the last week of May continuing into June.

Current Conditions: Declining but a stable market

ALEXANDRIA OLD TOWN 22314

April

88 Contracts

68 Sold

May

79 Contracts

85 Sold

June

32 Contracts as of June 16th 2015

33 Sold as of June 16th 2015

193 Active Listings 

Annapolis 21401
However Annapolis (21401) is slightly different with plenty of new inventory hitting the market and new contracts for June projected to be even with the month of May but a lower than usual average sales price. With this lower average sales price and even projection of new contracts we could see the higher end listings $1mil+ take a little longer to sell, the DOM to rise and the average sales to original list price to drop across the board, but more specifically for the $1mil+ bracket. Currently for the month of June we have 34 homes under contract and 24 Sold.


Current Conditions: Neutral

ANNAPOLIS 21401

April

61 Contracts

42 Sold

May

72 Contracts

56 Sold

June

34 Contracts as of June 16th 2015 

24 Sold Half as of June 16th 2015

274 Active Listings

Now available on PatrickDeLeonibus.com are interactive graphics directly updated from the MLS for the following zip codes.

Alexandria, Virginia (22314)
Annapolis, Maryland (21401)
Georgetown, Washington, D.C. (20007)

All data for this article was pulled on June 16th 2015 and considered but not guaranteed to be accurate. Data provided by the MRIS and RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC.

A Home Demanding Attention!

Recently Listed:

The Intrepid House

Situated on just over 2 acres, this 8,974 square foot estate is one that demands you to entertain in. How many homes have you visited that boast an Indoor Pool? Well the Intrepid House does not only have one but two pools. Yes separate indoor and outdoor pools and a detached pool house. The original builder of the home once made this home his primary residence while building a number of other homes in  the Harbor Hills Community.

Indoor Pool

Outdoor Pool

Aside from the pools the home has been recently renovated with 5 bedrooms, 4 full and 2 partial baths, 3 car extra deep heated garage with above guest quarters, and a wine cellar. The home also shows off a gourmet kitchen and two kitchenettes.

Kitchen

Sunroom

Family Room

Outdoor Fire Pit

Listed By: Patrick DeLeonibus

Offered at: $1,244,000

C:443.223.8340

How you get your home sold and knowing you sold it for the highest possible price with the best terms!

Just because a given real estate market has quick moving inventory does not mean you can just list your home and sell it. Well you can try, and most people do but don't you want to maximize your profits and know you sold it with the best terms?

It seems like when the market heats up owners will tend to tell their agent to list the house. Then without providing the proper attention to the property it sells. Yes it sold but did it sell for the highest possible price with the best terms? This is a question you should not be asking yourself when you get that contract in hand.

You still need to stage your home... or simplify it.

I am not telling you to pay a stager. Many homes will have the essentials but may need to eliminate certain pieces of furniture or items. This process may not require you to hire someone and you could tackle it yourself. However most agents now will cover some or all of the cost to have a stager come out and consult with you. It is an important conversation to have. 

You still need to market the property for maximum exposure.
It is still important to market your home the same way you would if the market was slow. Marketing and Photography does help increase the potential number of offers and the final sales figure. Buyers shop with their eyes now more than ever so that first picture counts.

You still need to price it right. 
Do not get greedy it will only hurt your end sales price. If you list high many buyers will just ignore your home and move on to the next and you will find yourself chasing the market as your home sits on the market. Just like staging many real estate agents will also have appraisers provide numbers on the projected value of your home.

You still need to make sure your landscaping is top notch.
Landscaping is important but not the most important tool to selling your home. It is important to consult with a landscape specialist if you have concerns about your outdoor space. However many times most yards can just use a clean up. There is no need to dump exorbitant amounts of money into your homes landscaping just before you list. Do what's necessary!

Make sure your home is getting the proper attention and avoid cutting corners to maximize your profits.

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com
443.223.8340

Example of twilight photography

Old Town Metro Bus Garage is up For Sale, $19,600,000 minimum bid!

600 N Royal Street is now up For Sale. The Old Town bus garage in the North end of Old Town is owned by WMATA (METRO). The property contains an entire city block located just two blocks from the Potomac River.

The long awaited offer for sale of this property is not just a straight sale. There is a bidding period and some guidelines to follow for redevelopment of the 2 acre site. The bidding is now open and closes July 17th 2015. On July 17th the top three bids will be selected and they will be asked to submit best and final offers. If you are looking to bid the minimum bid price will be $19,600,000... So you better come in higher. Here is the link for the invitation of bids, Invitation of Bids Packet. In this packet you will also find design guidelines for redevelopment and suggested use. This redevelopment will benefit the North end of Old Town if completed properly and to the standards outlined. Happy Bidding!

WMATA photo

Have you checked out the new website? PatrickDeLeonibus.com

(ListingDC.com, ListingAlexandria.com & ListingAnnapolis.com)

I am excited to announce the new website at PatrickDeLeonibus.com. Since the weather has been so nasty lately I decided to completely redesign the website to incorporate all of our new properties and headlines in one spot. You can visit the site to link to my recently popular blog REstateTrends and also go here to find a little more information about me and my growth in the industry. 

If you are like everyone else you probably can't spell or say my last name from memory... Don't worry! This is why I have created particular URL's pointing to the site. ListingDC.com, ListingAlexandria.com, and ListingAnnapolis.com all redirect to the site. Have a look around and tell me what you think.

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com

A busy spring ahead of us! I'm telling you how to compete with the other buyers and sellers!

From the activity we have seen this winter we are bound to have a busy spring. Recently lower interest rates coupled with easing in lending. It is now easier and more affordable to get into a new home. Whether you are buying or selling it is important to talk about your needs earlier than later in order to position your purchase or sale correctly. 

Selling:

If you plan on selling in the spring you want to start getting your home ready now and talk to me about what needs to be prepared. It will be all about timing this spring. Do not wait around until the Spring inventory hits. You want to be one of the first on the market since there are already a lot of buyers looking. Remember these three points: Photography, Strategic Marketing and Staging. Photography gets people in your home, Marketing gets the correct people in your home, and Staging keeps the correct people coming back to view your home. I am not saying to hire a stager just create a neutral feel and make your home look like a hotel. If you follow these points as well as appropriate pricing your home will sell and sell quick.

Buying:

If you are purchasing you can still find great deals now and when the spring inventory arrives. Just like sellers you will want to be prepared and understand what you are looking for. Right now I am unable to predict if the amount of inventory coming on will exceed the amount of buyers. If this does happen we will not have a frenzy and multiple offer situation. If we do not meet the demand for buyers you can plan on making competitive offers. So how do you make a competitive offer to avoid competing for a home? It is important to be paired with an agent that understands the market. You will also want to make sure you are pre qualified with a letter in hand before you go out to look as well as a neighborhood/area defined. A majority of the buyers throughout this last year have been indecisive(kicking tires) and have no defined area of interest. When you have a defined area you are able to pull the trigger on a house before your competition. Why? Well because you understand what it takes to purchase in the given neighborhood. 

www.ListingDC.com

Charles M. Goodman House to be named a 100 Year Old Building

On February 3rd The City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning suggested approval of the Charles M. Goodman House to be named as a 100 Year Building on the City of Alexandria's 100 Year Old Building list. This will be the 34th building added to this list outside of the City of Alexandria Old Town. Approval will be brought to the City Council Hearing on February 21st.

courtesy of wikimapia.org

courtesy of wikimedia.org

Okay so whats the big deal?
Charles Goodman is an American Modernist Architect that made his fame in the Washington, D.C. Area after World War II. Charles Goodman is responsible for designing numerous homes in the DC Area until his death in 1992. Alexandria, Virginia was his home. Most famously recognized for the design of the Hollin Hills Community in Alexandria and the original design of the National Airport.

Hollin Hills was developed by Robert C. Davenport in which Goodman designed 14 different models for the 450 home development. The only development design by Goodman as the lead architect in Alexandria, Virginia.

Typical Home in Hollin Hills - Courtesy of Clarissa Peterson

About the Charles M. Goodman House
510 North Quaker Lane is an 1870's Farmhouse that was redesigned by Goodman in 1954 the original architect is unknown. He used this home as his principle residence in Alexandria. It was recently sold in 2013 and in May of 2013 it was entered on the National Registry of Historic Places. The periods of specific significance are the years between 1946 and 1960. The house is said to measure around 3,800 sqft and the additions that were added during the time include the kitchen, living room, covered terrace, shed and service building. The property no longer includes all 7 acres they were divided off by Goodman's wife after his death for new homes to be built. These new homes were considered "McMansions". A full report of the historical significance can be found here.

Goodman Home courtesy of nps.gov

Glass enclosed living room of the Goodman addition

 www.ListingAlexandria.com

Written by: Patrick DeLeonibus

Spring is Coming Early!

All over the Washington Metro Area the real estate market is heating up earlier than previously expected. Currently we are experiencing high sales and inventory that is dwindling. There are a number of factors driving sales.

A few factors in play...

Transportation system in the DC Metro
Attractive reports on the outlook of the city
New development projects
Foreign investors
Large national investors
Positive outlooks for the Federal Government
Younger population demanding the urban lifestyle
Talk of rising interest rates for the new year

Georgetown Real Estate

If you previously thought about putting your home on the market in the spring time you may want to get it ready early. When buyers are biting they will tend to pay more when the inventory is lower. I expect this surge in demand to carry throughout the year. The undetermined factor is whether the inventory will match the demand and drive us to lower prices. 

As announced last week by major news outlets the Urban Institute predicts a population increase of at least 2,039,594 by 2030. Information like this being released does not slow down the real estate market, it gives it a nice kick in the butt as full steam ahead. 

I'm going to dub last week as "investor week", I heard from every investor I knew, asking me to find them their next project. Its a great time to live and move to DC.

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com