Real Estate Virginia

As the lead agent of The Earl of Real Estate Team, I am often asked about which areas we cover with regard to listing properties. the short answer is that we handle the entire Northern Virginia metro area, from Alexandria to Leesburg and out to Chantilly and Centreville.

The long answer is that we are able to assit you in any of the following cities/areas (not broken down by neighborhoods). A unique difference between The Earl of Real Estae Team and other sites or agent on the web that list a number of cities on their websites is that WE HAVE ACTUALLY LISTED AND SOLD PROPERTIES and HELPED BUYERS IN EVERY CITY LISTED.

Here is the List of Northern Virginia Cities we Serve:

• Alexandria
• Arlington
• Annandale
• Ashburn
• Burke
• Centreville
• Chantilly
• Fairfax
• Fairfax Station
• Falls Church
• Great Falls
• Herndon
• Leesburg
• McLean
• Oakton
• Reston
• Sterling
• Springfield
• Vienna
• McLean

BUT HOW???

After looking at this long and extensive list, you are probably wondering how we can cover so much ground.  We work as a team, with a central operation for our administrative and contract processing work being done in our Reston Market Center.  this allows myself as the lead agent to be one the road most of the time, being of service to the sellers and buyers that we work with in the areas listed.

If you are considering listing your home, you owe it to yourself to call me first.  Perhaps we are not the best fit for you, in which case I will tell you, rather than trying to make the square peg fit into the round hole, like some agents.

I have been in Northern Virginia real estate market full-time for over 10 years now.  There are certainly others who have sold more homes than I have, but you would be hard-pressed to find an agent with more integrity than my wife and I.  I would rather talk you out of a home purchase or an offer on your home than to assist you in making a bad decision.

If you are considering selling a home in Northern Virginia or looking at Reston VA Homes for Sale, please feel free to give me a call.  I would love the opportunity to help you sell your property as quickly as the market can bear.  You can visit our primary Northern Virginia real estate website at www.theearlofrealestate.com.  You can also reach us at 571-926-9230 or via email at team@theearlteam.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Earl

The Earl of Real Estate - Robert Earl is on ActiveRain. ActiveRain is a real estate site for buyers, sellers and other real estate agents. Robert Earl's ActiveRain postings cover topics like Northern Virginia Real Estate Sales Reports and Homes for sale in the area.



Recent postings have been focused on the Homes & Condos for sale in Northern Virginia near the Metro Subway stops along with listings by Zip Code locations.

Great Tips to Finding a Quality Real Estate Agent

Finding a good real estate agent / broker is essential to enjoying a painless real estate transaction. The saying is "20% of the agents do 80% of the business," and the true is that this number is more like 7% of the agents do 93% of the business. The question is how can you find a good real estate agent in Northern Virginia or elsewhere? The best agent for you doesn't necessarily work at the largest brokerage, close the most transactions or make the most money. The best agent for you is an experienced professional who will listen to you, conduct themselves in an ethical manner, and knows your market.

Realtors and Real Estate Agents
All Realtors are licensed to sell real estate as an agent or a broker but not all real estate agents are Realtors. Only Realtors can display the Realtor logo. Realtors belong to the National Association of Realtors and pledge to follow the Code of Ethics, a comprehensive list containing 17 articles and underlying standards of practice, which establish levels of conduct that are higher than ordinary business practices or those required by law. Less than half of all licensees are Realtors.  All of the members of The Earl of Real Estate Team are REALTORS.

Referrals for Real Estate Agents
Most real estate agents stay in business because satisfied clients refer them to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Ask the people around you who they have used and ask them to describe their experiences with this real estate agent. Successful agents make customer satisfaction their number one priority and put their customers' needs before their own. Try to find an agent who goes above and beyond her responsibilities. He or She'll be the agent whose praises your friends sing loudest.

Recommendations from Quality Professional Real Estate Agents
Ask other real estate agents for referrals. Agents are happy to refer buyers and sellers to associates, especially if the service you need is not a specialty of the agent who is referring you. Some agents specialize in residential resales while others work exclusively with new home builders. Other agents sell only commercial or investment property. Mortgage brokers are also a resource for agent referrals as many brokers have first-hand knowledge of exceptional agents. Pros tend to refer pros.

Submit an inquiry regarding a property to an Agents Website
Do you even get a response and if so, what is the nature of the response? Is it professional in nature, asking you good questions?  Or is it just a sales pitch?  Do they follow up and follow thru?  Is the response being handled by a licensed REALTOR or is it an un-licensed administrative assistant? Do they have a team backing and supporting them if they have another appointment or take a vacation or a day off?

Attend Open Houses
By going to open houses, you can meet quality real estate agents in a non-threatening working environment and interact with them. Collect business cards and make notes on them. If you're thinking about selling your home, pay attention to how the agent is showing the home. Is she polite and informative; appear knowledgeable? Do they hand out professional-looking promotional material about the home? Do they try to sell features of the home? Or are they sitting in a corner reading a book, ignoring you?

As you can see, there are several ways to find a quality real estate agent in Northern Virginia or elsewhere across the country. Using a quality real estate agent will ensure you a smooth and safe real estate transaction.

Great news for the Northern Virginia Real Estate market. According to a newly released Bloomberg Businessweek report, the Washington DC / Northern Virginia & MD job market is America's Strongest. report

If you are wondering how this information or report will impact your decision to buy or sell a home in Northern Virginia - feel free to contact us for a free consultation.

No. 1 Strongest Job Market: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.

Who's hiring: Wholesale/retail trade, Professional & business services, Government

Percent companies planning to hire in Q3: 23 percent
Population: 5,476,241 (+1.8 percent YOY)
Unemployment rate: 6.2 percent
Mean annual income: $59,470

The D.C. area, which has seen its unemployment rate drop from 7.1 percent in February to 6.2 percent in May, has maintained the strongest average employment outlook this year. In Manpower's most recent report, 23 percent of survey-takers in the area planned to increase employment in the third quarter and 4 percent planned to decrease employment; a majority, 69 percent, had no plans to change employment this summer. According to the Conference Board, there were 190,800 online ads for jobs in the area in June, up 28.3 percent from a year earlier. Accenture, for example, plans to add 1,000 jobs in the D.C. area, reported the Washington Business Journal. Deloitte's Federal Practice has also hired 1,200 new employees in the D.C. metro area so far this year and plans to hire about 160 per month through the end of May 2011.

Are you taking a trip to Northern Virginia or considering buying a home in Northern Virginia your home and interested in its history?   Even more specific, you may want to learn more about the historic buildings in Virginia. Are you an architect looking for ideas from years past? Well, I wanted to take this time to help you learn some of the historic buildings and estates in various towns and cities in Virginia.

We’ll first start out in Arlington, Virginia and tell you a little information about The Arlington House. From 1831 to 1861, Robert E. Lee, along with his wife Mary Custis Lee, made this estate in Arlington their home. Lee once wrote that at the Arlington estate "my affections and attachments are more strongly placed than at any other place in the world." He considered the Arlington estate his home and spent most of his happiest moments there. This house is now preserved as a memorial to Lee and honors his efforts of reconciliation and peace after the Civil War.

Another interesting historical estate is located in Alexandria, Virginia. The estate is called Woodlawn, and was once part of a piece of property owned by George Washington. In 1799, George Washington's step granddaughter, Nellie was married to his favorite nephew, Major Lawrence Lewis. As a wedding gift, Washington gave them 2000 acres of land at his Mount Vernon estate and had Woodlawn built. The mansion’s completion came in 1805. Nellie and Lawrence did a significant amount of entertaining at Woodlawn. They lived here until Lawrence died in 1839. Upon his death, the estate passed through several hands until it was purchased in 1951 by the National Trust. You should definitely consider planning a trip to Woodlawn when visiting Washington D.C. or Mount Vernon.

Colvin Run Mill is located in Great Falls, Virginia and is a magnificent historical building to visit if you are in the area. Colvin Run Mill was built between 1802 and 1811. It was once a water powered gristmill that was located along the road and connected the Shenandoah Valley to the port of Alexandria. It was used until 1934. The old gristmill was acquired by The Fairfax County Park Authority in the late 1960's. It has been restored in order to recreate its earlier appearance. Today, there is the mill, barn and blacksmith shop, general store, and the 1809 miller's house.

These are but a few of the historical buildings and estates you will find on a visit to Virginia. There is so much more to see in this very historical state.

I have to admit, a lot of actions by individuals involved in the practice and purchase of real estate surprise and disappoint me.  From small issues like agents leaving lights on in a property after showing or leaving the front door unlocked and wide open in a vacant house. (Thankfully a neighbor called and alerted us to the situation.)

But the one issue that continues to amaze me in my nearly 10 years of providing service to the Northern Virginia Real Estate market is how people think they can get away with any form of Mortgage Fraud, and frankly, how many do end up getting away with it.

Mortgage fraud is a term that is used in the description of a variety of criminal activities or actions where there is intent to omit or materially misrepresent information on a mortgage application in order to obtain a loan or larger mortgage loan than would have been obtained if the borrower or lender had known the truth. In a federal court, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The penalty for mortgage fraud is up to thirty years of imprisonment.  Translation - Mortgage Fraud = Bank Robbing without the guns and the mask.

Mortgage fraud has become an increasingly common thing. Scam artists will often target a homeowner that is struggling to keep up with their mortgage commitment or is anxious to get their home sold.

There is available help for these situations, whether it is a financial problem or you are facing foreclosure in Northern Virginia. Make sure that you are dealing with an organization that is reputable before you get involved with them. A sensible rule of thumb is that any unsolicited help, whether by phone or in person, or by mail should be well researched before choosing to accept any help.

In order to protect your home and the equity you have in it, and avoid becoming a victim to a fraudulent scheme, understand and recognize signs of mortgage fraud. Learn how to report mortgage fraud to federal and state authorities so that they may stop these scam artists from preying on an innocent borrower.

A good start is by learning some of the motives that are behind mortgage fraud. They are typically classified into one of these two categories:

•    Fraud for profit
•    Fraud for property or housing

Fraud for profit schemes will often involve a group of people who attempt to defraud a mortgage lender or prospective homebuyer. An example of this is when a dishonest mortgage broker might partner-up with a loan processor and create an illegitimate credit profile. They will have the help of an appraiser to inflate the property’s value.

There is also fraud for property, which is also known to be termed fraud for housing. This generally occurs when a potential borrower wants to make a property purchase that they are unable to afford. The borrower is often aided by a dishonest mortgage industry professional that will encourage or submit false information regarding the borrower’s income, employment, or other assets so that they may qualify for the loan.

If you are in a situation where you may need to refinance your home, or if you are purchasing a new home or a tract of land, use these tools to help recognize mortgage fraud or give us a call for a consultation. If a dishonest lender asks to help you “inflate” your income or use other means of making your mortgage application appealing, don’t go for it. It may just land you in prison. 

Welcome to Northern Virginia. Where our country’s history and Virginia landscape collide to create a beautiful place to live.
 
The Capitol, the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Vietnam Memorials; the Washington Monument, and the White House are all famous landmarks in our nation's capital.  How often have you seen them on TV, in movies, photos, or models?   That's not truly seeing them, though, is it?  Haven't you always longed to stand there in front of those landmarks, feasting your eyes on their reality, feeling the ground they stand on under your feet; to know you are in the presence of American history and the center of American political power? 

Perhaps history could be made the day you're there.  You could have a story to tell your children and grandchildren, even write it down or tape it for future generations.   Well, there are ways you might make that possibility more than a daydream for when your life seems inexpressively dreary.  What do you need to do?
 
One of the more rewarding methods you could try is to move to Northern Virginia, nicknamed "NOVA".    NOVA could be regarded as a suburb of Washington, D.C. or you could look at it the other way around.   You could have all the convenience of being near enough to frequently visit the city without the inconvenience of living in the city itself.  If you don't want to live in any city environment, some of the NOVA counties are still mostly rural. 

You could be giving your children a quiet neighborhood enlivened with field trips to the Smithsonian, the Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the National Air and Space Museum.  Shake up your jaded teenagers a little with visits to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment where they can't learn the reality that crime does not pay [in the long run]. 

Culture junkies can get their fix at the John F. Kennedy Center for the performing arts and many art galleries.  The United States Botanical Garden and the National Arboretum are just two of the places to delight the nature lovers.
 
All these places to experience and explore are readily available to those who have the wisdom and good taste to buy a home in Northern Virginia.