» 2019 » January | Lee Stillwell

Do You Know How Much Your Home Has Increased in Value?

Last year we saw headlines about a possible housing market bubble, and many wondered if Americans still felt confident about the value of their homes. Recently, the 2018 Houzz & Home Study revealed: “Homeowners with mortgages have seen their home equity more than double since 2011, increasing to a record-setting $8.3 trillion in 2017.” The […]

January 31, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

4 Proven Ways Real Estate Can Build Sizable Family Wealth

Recently, David Greene, co-host of the BiggerPockets podcast and a nationally renowned author and speaker, wrote an article in Forbes explaining how investing in real estate could help build wealth. Many of the points he made also apply to a family owning their own home. Here are a few: 1. Appreciation “The rising of home […]

January 30, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

Is Student Loan Debt A Threat to Homeownership? No!

Over the course of the last thirty years, a shift has happened. An entire generation has been raised to believe that a college education is their key to unlocking opportunities that were not available to their parent’s or grandparent’s generations. Due to this, student loan debt has soared to $1.5 trillion and represents the largest […]

January 29, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

Why It Makes No Sense to Wait for Spring to Sell

The price of any item (including residential real estate) is determined by the theory of ‘supply and demand.’ If many people are looking to buy an item and the supply of that item is limited, the price of that item increases. The supply of homes for sale dramatically increases every spring, according to the National Association of […]

January 28, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

Think You Should For Sale By Owner? Think Again! [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights: For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is the process of selling real estate without the representation of a real estate broker or real estate agent. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, 36% of homeowners who decided to FSBO last year did so to avoid paying a commission […]

January 25, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

3 Things You Need in a Shifting Real Estate Market

Whether you are thinking of selling your house or buying a home, today’s real estate headlines can be confusing – perhaps even concerning. What is actually happening with mortgage rates? Are home values dropping or are they just rising at a slower pace? What impact will the economy have on the housing market? If you […]

January 24, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

The Importance of Homeownership to the American Dream

For centuries, people in this country have seen homeownership as part of the American Dream. Whether they were born here or immigrated from another country, they wanted to own a piece of America. With so many prominent societal changes over the last few decades, it is fair to ask if people in America still feel […]

January 23, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

Do You Prefer the Charm of an Existing Home?

When homebuyers begin their research, they want to see all their available options! In many cases, they will include both new construction and existing homes in their search; but is a new construction home really the house of their dreams? According to a recent survey by Zillow, of the 38% of total buyers that added […]

January 22, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

The Difference Having a Professional on Your Side Makes

In today’s fast-paced world, where answers are a Google search away, there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are. The truth is, with the addition of more information, comes more confusion. Shows like Property Brothers, Fixer Upper and the dozens […]

January 21, 2019 Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Chevy Chase MD, Gaithersburg MD, Great Falls VA, Kensington MD, Listings, McLean VA, North Bethesda, MD, Potomac MD, Real Estate Topics, News And Events, Rockville MD, Washington DC

What is the Cost of Waiting Until Next Year to Buy? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights: The cost of waiting to buy is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 5.1% by the end of 2019. CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by […]