Julie Holtkamp

Hi Jen, You already have some great advice here. FYI, I sold one of thoe condos off of Heathcote earlier this year. The prices are even lower, however, the condo/hoa fees are pretty high. I would suggest meeting with a Realtor, looking through the MLS listings and cruising the neighborhoods to see what you like the most. You can use the link below to search for homes. - Thu Jul 24 2008, 05:41

Hi John,

Pre-Forclosures are listed as "short sales". The market value is short of the loan amount owed. About 3 out of 10 actually make it to closing. They can be very frustrating because of the time you have to wait and the lack of information you get from the banks. Foreclosures are much quicker and easier. Feel free to call me if you want any details. No pressure. In the link below is an MLS search for Dominion Valley with the words "short" and "bank" in the remarks section. Good Luck.

Julie Holtkamp, Long & Foster Real Estate
703-786-6789 - Mon May 12 2008, 16:18

Michael,

Is the 2% commission you are referring to for the selling of a home or to assist you with the purchase?

There are many savvy homebuyers out there who know the market and what they want. You sound like one of them, however, have you negotiated a sale in this market? What happens to you when a problem arises? The sales agent works for the builder. The contracts are written to protect the builder. Make sure you read the fine print before signing. Once you have walked into a builder's office unrepresented by a Realtor and start discussions about the building process, the builder will not pay a Realtor you bring in after the fact.

I live in Bristow and my Long & Foster office is in Gainesville. I would be happy to sit down and discuss your question in great detail.

Julie Holtkamp, Realtor
Long & Foster, Gainesville
703-786-6789 - Tue Apr 29 2008, 05:58

Hi Michael,

Danilo is right, you would want to have your own agent represent you. In this instance, the Realtor for the investor would not have your best interest at hand. The terms broker and realtor are used interchangeably, however, the broker is who the realtor works for. For example, I am with Long & Foster. I am the realtor, Long & Foster is my broker. I handle all of the transaction acting as a representative of my broker. My guess as to why he would want you to not get your own realtor is that he would not have to pay the other half of the commission. His agent would probably give him a discount. He would save about 2-3% of the sales price at your expense. It sounds like a really great deal, except did you have an agent show you what the comparables are for the neighborhood? That is a huge neighborhood and if you click on the link below, you can see what the homes in the last 60 days have sold for. There are also homes for sale starting at $325K. If you choose to purchase, even from the builder, definitely use a realtor to help you. The commission is built in and you will be better informed. Good Luck

Julie Holtkamp - Mon Apr 28 2008, 06:14