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Fredericksburg’s Best: Parks Edition
The leaves may be turning red and gold but there are still a few nice weekends left to take a leisurely walk through our local parks and let the kiddos run wild on the playground! Luckily for you, we’ve done the hard work of picking out the most fun playgrounds, most unique recreation areas and overall best parks in the area! Our picks were chosen because of their unique amenities, awesome playground equipment, convenient bathrooms and adjacent sports fields! These aren’t ranked but if you want to go test out how cool each of these parks are, be our guest and report back!
- Curtis Memorial Park in Stafford is perfect for your more adventurous excursions! It’s a beautiful wooded park with the usual nature trails, picnic shelters, baseball diamond, playground, volleyball and tennis courts, but it’s also got a SKATE PARK!! as well as an Olympic-size swimming pool and wading pool with water umbrella for children. Check out the 91-acre fishing lake and 18-hole public golf course while you’re there!
- Kenmore Park is in the heart of downtown Fredericksburg, on the corner of Kenmore Ave and Mary Ball Street. There’s something for the whole family here with 8 tennis courts, a tennis practice wall, basketball court, soccer field, children’s play equipment, and a toddler play area. It’s also within walking distance to the City Dog Park and the Canal Path, which is a shady, paved path perfect for strollers!
- Old Mill Park is another awesome downtown Fredericksburg park, right on Caroline Street! If you’re looking for scenic views of the Rappahannock while you play on the soccer field, Old Mill Park is for you! It has convenient restrooms, playground equipment, and picnic shelters for when you’ve had enough exercise. You might notice a few old buildings near the park—the “Old Mill District” still contains a few structures related to the area’s once prominent mill industry, like the old Myers and Brulle’s Germania Flour Mill. There are QR codes along this trail with links to informational pages, if you’re interested in the history of the area!
- Alum Spring Park is Fredericksburg’s best-kept secret located at the end of Greenbrier Drive! It is wooded so it stays cool even on the hottest days, has a fitness trail, a renovated picnic shelter, picnic tables, restrooms, grills, play equipment, and walking paths. These amenities are awesome but the park itself is actually really historic! Not only was the “alum spring water” supposed to have curative powers that almost turned Fredericksburg into a health resort, but the area was use
d as a hospital during the Revolution and eventually a gristmill and a sawmill! Find out more about the colorful history of Alum Spring Park!
- Loriella Park is in Spotsylvania, just off Leavells Rd. This park takes advantage of its wide open spaces by featuring one of the area’s finest disc golf courses! Disc golf is easy to play and a cheap way to while away an afternoon! Loriella Park also has a public pool, baseball diamond, 2.9 miles of wooded trails, a shaded playground with infant swings, lighted tennis courts, a covered picnic area located next to the playground and restrooms.
- Patriot Park is a massive park located right behind the Ron Rosner YMCA, in Spotsylvania. It has baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a 3.1 mile fitness trail, multi-purpose fields, a large enclosed playground with infant swings and a covered picnic area with restrooms. Not only does Patriot Park have all the usual bells and whistles, it also has a giant amphitheater where concerts are held during the summer!
- Dixon Park is the City’s newest park, just a few minutes from the heart of downtown. With 1.5 miles of walking trails, a big pool that’s super popular in the summer, playground equipment, multiple sports fields, restrooms and nature preserve areas, there’s plenty of room to roam! Make sure to snap a pic with the cool sculpture at the entrance—one of the many sculptures that just popped up all around Fredericksburg, thanks to the Fredericksburg Arts Commission’s new Public Sculpture project!
The artist, David Boyajian, and “Dancing Milkweed IV”
Let us know if you have a favorite park that should be added to this list and what makes it so special!
Open House Tips for Buyers
If you’re thinking about buying a home in the next year or so, visiting an open house can be a great way to find out what you do and don’t like, how much house you can afford and really need, and what neighborhood or general area you’d like to live in. If you’re closer to making an actual purchase, open houses should be treated as a fact-finding mission. Either way, here are our best tips for making the most of an open house!
Do Your Research
Rule out any potential deal-breakers and don’t waste your time visiting those homes. If you know that you really need a home with a garage or you want to live in a walkable neighborhood, don’t fall in love with a home at the open house that you won’t be happy actually living in. There are plenty of websites that have information about homes for sale, but if you want to make sure that the listing you love has the most updated information, check out our home search or get Homesnap on your phone.
Scope Out The Competition
Obviously if you’re approved for $250k, don’t waste your time going to a $550k open house. But a little bit of research and number-crunching can help you look at potential homes more critically. Knowing what houses priced $50k higher or lower than your target price range look like will help you appreciate homes that are priced appropriately.
Take Notes and Pictures
Bring a way to take notes—whether that’s your phone or an actual notebook—so you can remember specifics about the house that aren’t in the listing or that would help you make a decision later. Having your own notes and thoughts about the home will be a huge help, especially when you are planning on hitting multiple open houses in a weekend.
Use Your Senses
Try to go beyond just looking at the layout of the house or the color of the walls. Listen for traffic noise, check out the condition of nearby homes, notice any smells or mold in basements or kitchens, open closet doors and look inside cabinets—these little things will have a big impact on your life in the house.
Ask The Right Questions
Ask the showing agent how many days the home has been on the market. If it’s a high number, the sellers may be more willing to negotiate. Find out whether there is an HOA, if the home has any issues that the sellers are aware of and what improvements have been made to the home. These questions will give you a better idea of the monthly costs of living there as well as any potential repairs you may need to make. Very perceptive buyers will be able to tell from the agent’s answers whether or not the sellers are “motivated” (read: desperate).
Open Houses can be exhausting, especially if you are hitting multiple homes in one day. Don’t get discouraged, and try to evaluate each home as impartially as possible. You’ll see plenty of homes you don’t like before you find out what you really need in a home. It’s fine to use these open houses as opportunities to learn about that area’s market and gather data that will inform your future home purchase.
Lake of the Woods: Neighborhood Guide
Imagine the leaves crunching under your feet, a family of swans swimming past your living room window, and access to tons of amenities like a gorgeous clubhouse and golf course…now imagine this community was full of affordable and well-kept houses. At the Lake of the Woods, this isn’t an unrealistic dream—it’s everyday life for the families loving the picturesque lake lifestyle only a few miles from Central Park and I-95.
The Lake of the Woods is a gated, secured community with two lakes, a golf course, clubhouse with a restaurant, an equestrian center, their own fire and rescue department, and walking trails all within the gates. Whether your family is into boating, water sports, golfing, horseback riding or simply soaking in the natural splendor—it’s all there at Lake of the Woods. The best part of living in the Lake of the Woods isn’t even the great location or the luxurious amenities, it’s the wonderful people and sense of community. Aside from being able to meet friendly people out walking dogs and exploring the fitness trails, there are over 60 clubs and organizations to get involved with!
My favorite part of the community is the equestrian center! All the horses are happy and healthy, and I had a lovely time just hanging out and giving all of them some pats and neck scratches! It was such a perfect way to de-stress on a fall day! The stable offers riding lessons for kids and adults as well as boarding, if you are looking for a convenient place to keep your horse!
The clubhouse is really elegant, large enough to host meetings and has a nice restaurant inside! If you’re a fitness buff, there are plenty of walking trails, parks and a fitness center that is available to all residents. The golf course is especially picturesque and there are plenty of foursomes out on weekends, if you’re looking for a golfing partner! It’s especially easy to get out on your boat if your home is waterfront, but there are also plenty of launch sites and beaches for boating enthusiasts.
Lake of the Woods also has some really interesting history if you’re interested! There’s a Civil War Study Group formed by Lake of the Woods residents, and an excerpt about the area from “Germanna Road: Three Hundred Year History of Lower Orange County, Virginia,” by Peter Rainey notes:
“The community was developed in 1968 by Virginia Wildlife Clubs as a seasonal, weekend, or vacation spot. It borders the Germanna Highway, originally the path made by the inhabitants of Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood’s Germanna colony in 1714. Seventy years later, his grandson, Capt. John Spotswood, inherited all the land that includes Lake of the Woods and built his home “Orange Grove.” John served in the 10th Virginia Regiment, was wounded and captured in 1779, and paroled at the request of General Washington. Across Germanna Road lie the relics of the Vaucluse Gold Mine, which is the best known of the mines in the county’s largest gold producing area until 1848. Part of the area of Lake of the Woods was owned before the Civil War by mining companies, including the Orange Grove Mining Company.”
If you’re curious about living in the Lake of the Woods, stop by our Locust Grove office directly across from the front entrance of the Lake of the Woods for a map of the community or our beautiful website to see the latest listings!
2016 Parade of Homes: Behind the Scenes
Congratulations to the Fredericksburg Area Builders’ Association Parade of Homes Winners for 2016! This year, I was lucky enough to be one of the judges for the Single Family Home $275,000–$325,000 division. Realtors from all different brokerages from around the Fredericksburg area volunteered to be judges and spend the day driving around to newly-built homes to decide which home offered the best value for the money, based on their aesthetic and structural aspects.
The Griffin at Ladysmith Village
Each group of Realtors toured 4-5 homes, using an exhaustive rubric to judge every room and aspect of the home. Among the categories for adjudication were the floor plan, the utility/support spaces and outdoor living spaces as well as each individual room in the home and exterior curb appeal. Each category had its own subset of criteria for which the home could win points. Just to give you an idea of how thorough these criteria were, the exterior of each home was judged on not only the general curb appeal, but also the overall architectural design, aesthetic use of material, craftsmanship, landscaping and character/style.
The Reese at Lake Land ‘Or
For each home, the team of Realtors from all different brokerages had to reach a consensus on an overall score. Thankfully, my group was almost always in agreement for each of the homes. There were aspects of each home that pleasantly surprised us, as well as drawbacks to every home! We were really impressed with the quality and craftsmanship we saw in all of the homes we judged and it was actually really difficult to choose a winner!
The Griffin at Ladysmith Village
At the end of the day, we chose the Griffin at Ladysmith Village built by Spear Builders, which was priced at $320k. This home really blew us away. From the unique Craftsman-style exterior to the custom lighting, every detail of the home was beautiful. The home was painted in coordinating on-trend colors, and the kitchen featured a nice built-in desk area beneath a wine rack. The fireplace mantel was made of 100-year-old salvaged wood, giving it a truly unique look. The upstairs floor plan was my only drawback for this home, as I found it slightly cramped. This home really set the bar for style and character for our group as well as value for the money.
The Griffin at Ladysmith Village
If you’d like to see all the homes and judge for yourself, you can visit the Parade of Homes website or see them in person this weekend, Oct 8-9!
The Halifax at Maury Heights
Here’s the list of all the winners of each division:
▪Townhome $220,000–$290,000: Ryan Homes “The Mendelssohn at Governors Row”
▪Tiny Homes: Tiny House Building Model “The Alpine”
▪Single Family $275,000–$325,000: Spear Builders of Virginia, Inc “The Griffin at Ladysmith Village”
▪Single Family $340,000–$375,000: Thompson Building Corporation “The Halifax at Maury Heights”
▪Single Family $390,000–$430,000: Ryan Homes “The Corsica at Chancellorsville Crossing”
▪Single Family $480,000–$540,000: Lennar “The McClellan at Embrey Mill”
▪Single Family $575,000–$610,000: Bryton Homes “The Greenbrier at Bell Valley”
▪Single Family $625,000–$700,000: J. Hall Homes, Inc. “The Edinburgh at River Glen”
▪Single Family $1,000,000 and Up: Mendleson Development Company, LLC “The Winnifred at Fawn Lake”
▪Realtors Choice Award Townhome Best Overall Home for the Value: Lennar “The Westover in Rappahanock Landing”
▪Realtors Choice Award Single Family Best Overall Home for the Value: J. Hall Homes Inc. “River Glen”
Getting Ready for Your Open House: A Seller’s Guide
Selling your home quickly is a matter of pricing it right, marketing it aggressively and making sure that it looks its best for potential buyers. Your agent is responsible for the first two, but the last one is where you can really shine! In order to get top dollar for your home, you need to make sure you are helping it make the best possible impression. This means creating a calm, clean space so that buyers are not put off by any lingering smells, unusual decor choices or messy rooms.
- First impressions are very powerful! Take a look at your home from the street and spruce up any landscaping or front porch decor. Does your siding need to be powerwashed or your front door repainted? Even just sweeping up the cobwebs from around the doors and a few well-placed flowers on the front steps will make a big difference. For more ideas about how to up your curb appeal, check out my Pinterest page!
- Make sure your home is as empty as possible, or at least extremely decluttered. This means almost all pictures taken off the walls, most pieces of home decor off the shelves, and no curtains unless they are very flattering and make the windows look larger. Ask your agent if you’re not sure if the curtains should stay. Everything on the kitchen and bathroom counters should be put away or hidden. This includes toasters, coffeemakers, soap bottles and sponges, etc. For example, the countertops on the left are perfectly clear except for one tasteful bowl, while the countertops on the right are mostly clear but the appliances still make it look cluttered.
- Remove all valuables and medicines from the home during an open house. Unfortunately, open houses are easy targets for theft and during a busy open house and your agent simply cannot be everywhere at once to make sure your valuables aren’t pocketed. There’s no need to risk losing something precious when it could easily be taken with you or secured elsewhere!
- Consider hiring a cleaning service to come a few days or the day before an open house, especially if you have pets. As thorough as you think you are, there’s nothing quite like the shine and polish a home has after a professional cleaning. Freshly steamed carpets, stainless steel sans fingerprints, a spotless bathroom—these little details are what will convince a buyer that the home is worth the asking price.
- Turn on all the lights in the home–the home looks larger and more inviting when it is properly illuminated. Make sure to change out any dim lightbulbs before the open house or consider upgrading to some smart bulbs as an added feature!
- This should go without saying but all beds should be made, no towels or trash left in the bathrooms and all toilet seat lids should be down. Pet items like toys and beds should be removed or very well-hidden in the home. Kid’s rooms are not exempt from this—hampers and toys should be very well-hidden or removed from the house and the beds should be made just like every other room!
Please take all the dead animals off the wall before your open house!
- Don’t worry too much about making the house smell extra nice. If you absolutely must have scents in the home, one or two candles in universally-appealing scents like lavender or vanilla are acceptable but DO NOT Febreze the house into oblivion or leave a bunch of cookies baking in the oven for your agent to take care of during the open house.
- Ask your agent to make feature cards to put next to any unusual or special features in your home, or if anything in the home has a really interesting backstory.
- Lastly, probably the most helpful thing a seller can do for an open house is to leave the house! Go get a coffee and hang out for a few hours in a bookshop, or take a scenic hike—whatever you need to do to not be in the home during the open house. Buyers get really uncomfortable if the seller is still in the home and they feel like they can’t say what they really think.
Trust your agent to sell the home and to put it in its best light for the buyers–it’s our job! As long as you and your agent have prepped your home for success, all you need to do now is relax and enjoy the process!
Should You Buy a New Construction Home?
There’s nothing like walking into a brand spanking new home: everything’s shiny and clean, the fixtures are upgraded…it even smells new! Then again, that old Victorian house with squeaky floorboards and original trim has character that money can’t buy. How do you decide whether or not to spring for a new home? Here are a couple things to keep in mind when weighing the pros and cons of buying new construction.
You Get to Design Your Own Home
One of the most appealing aspects of newly-built homes is the ability to customize almost everything about the home. Buyers can choose the floor plan, the material for the exterior of the home, the fixtures, the flooring and an unlimited number of other details about their new home. If the selection process for all the upgrades sounds daunting, Coldwell Banker Elite’s Kevin Michael Breen recommends new build buyers “ask the builder if they will be providing a kitchen and bath designer to help with selections. If the builder is not offering design help, hiring a designer for your selection process is not a bad idea and can relieve some of the stress caused by a room full of flooring options or a wall full of counter choices.”
If there’s nothing on the market that perfectly matches what you’re looking for, this might be a huge selling point for you. These customizations can come at a price, however! It’s easy to overspend when deciding on upgrades for your new home. The granite countertops you always envisioned may be too expensive once you’ve decided that you want hardwood throughout the home or to add brick to the exterior, as opposed to vinyl siding. And for as much as you can customize the homes, if you are looking for very specific customizations like an elevator or other accommodations for certain disabilities, you may not be able to find what you’re looking for from a mainstream builder. Your average new construction builder will typically only offer aesthetic customization options, not drastic structural ones!
There’s Less Upfront Maintenance
Another really attractive feature of new construction is the perception that there will be much less maintenance involved for the first few years because everything is new! While this is true to a certain extent, there will always be things that go wrong when buying a new home. Be prepared for unexpected costs, even if it seems like everything will go swimmingly! Problems, such as unsealed windows, may arise in new homes that would otherwise have been resolved in existing homes. However, there are definitely massive benefits to purchasing a home that has been constructed using the newest, safest building codes and eco-friendly, energy-efficient materials. There is no risk of asbestos or lead paint in new homes and you may save money on your energy bills due to the improved insulation!
What to Watch Out For
One thing to be particularly aware of when buying a newly-built home is the neighborhood. Will the phase that your home is in be finished relatively quickly or will you be living in a construction site for years to come? What does the neighborhood offer in terms of amenities? A good question to ask yourself is: would you live here even if you couldn’t customize your new home? The appeal of the customized fixtures may wear off, but you’ll always have to live in that neighborhood. Make sure you’re not blinded by all the shiny upgrades! Amberly Green, Coldwell Banker Elite’s Relocation Director, advises to always get a home inspection on new homes: “The times I have bought new construction I sure did not want to climb up on the roof myself to make sure it was done properly. An inspection can save tons of money later if an issue arises after your builder warranty is up.” Mandy Maddox, an agent from our Spotsylvania office, mentioned how important hiring a quality, reliable builder is when buying new construction: “You MUST check a builder’s background out thoroughly before signing any contract. I talk to people who live in houses previously built by that builder 5,10, 15, even 20 years ago to see how the house is holding up today and if they think it was well constructed. I also interview the builders with the clients and find out what kind of services they offer for the price.”
Hurry Up and Wait
One main difference between new construction and existing homes is the amount of time it takes to close and take possession of the home. New construction typically takes 4-6 months to be built, while an existing home can be purchased in 30-45 days. For Dan Donehey, an agent with our Massaponax office, this hasn’t been an issue. “Many buyers have been willing to wait for the new construction even if it wasn’t going to be ready within the timetable they had hoped for. Also, builders often have incentives like a finished basement or added sunroom along with financing incentives to help with closing costs all of which are usually music to the ears of my buyers.”
You Might Not Make Money On It
New construction also requires higher upfront costs than an existing home, while their resale value is typically lower than purchase price. You are paying more for the ability to completely design a made-to-order house. The next buyers will not have had this luxury and by then, it is no longer brand new so prospective buyers will have to deal with the associated maintenance costs. Coldwell Banker Elite Broker Latana Locke from the King George office took advantage of this situation by buying a resale home in a new construction neighborhood: “My husband and I are purchasing a resale in Hopyard built in 2012. We priced the same home to be built in that same subdivision and were able to save about $20,000 and did not have to wait 6 months for it to be built. We were able to see the completed room sizes, visualize our furniture in the home and had a great home inspection knowing that there were no settlement issues with the ground, or cracks in the walls or foundation. The paint was already upgraded as was the kitchen, and landscaping was complete (not sure what it would have been like in Feb. or March if we went with new and it was completed in the winter). Best is that I did not have to rent and move twice.” Latana’s solution is actually pretty ingenious if you really want all the benefits of new construction but don’t care too much about customization—buying a practically new home can save you thousands!
So What’s The Verdict?
That all depends on what is most important to you in your home search! If you are prioritizing customization, shiny new features and builder incentives, a new construction home might be for you! If you don’t mind having to change some aspects of your home on your own in order to save money, an existing home might be a better choice! Only you can decide if buying a new construction home is right for your family, but hopefully the combined wisdom of our Coldwell Banker Elite agents will help you make that decision.
Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report 2016
See Where Your City Stacks Up!
Coldwell Banker annually shares a look at the nation’s housing market through an “apples-to-apples” comparison of like-sized homes. The Home Listing Report is the largest survey of its kind, comparing more than 50,000 4-bedroom/2-bath listings in approximately 2,000 markets in the U.S. Unlike other “Most Expensive/Most Affordable Markets” studies which measure the median or average sale prices in each market, the HLR measures what the same size home—a four-bedroom/two-bathroom home—sells for in each market. You can check out the national rankings at the link above or just focus on Virginia!
So Who’s Paying The Most for their Home?
Luckily for us, 7 of the 10 most expensive towns in the nation are in Silicon Valley led by Saratoga where a 4 bed/2 bath home averages a whopping $2,453,718. Saratoga is right down the road from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. The most affordable market is resurgent Detroit where that same house averages $64,110. The national average for a sample size home is $320,120, which could buy a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom home in nearly 1,300 markets across the country.
Where Do We Stack Up?
Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania are solidly in the “average” range, with Stafford coming in at #17 Most Expensive in Virginia and Fredericksburg at #19. Spotsylvania was quite a bit lower at #29 in Virginia and #1077 Most Expensive nationally. Stafford is #771 Most Expensive and Fredericksburg is #833 Most Expensive nationally. The average price for a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home in Fredericksburg was $327,941, while Spotsy averaged $283,528. Manassas was much more expensive, at #481 Most Expensive nationally and #10 in Virginia because the average 4 bed/2 bath goes for $425,827. As far as cities within an hour of DC, however, Fredericksburg was by far the most affordable of all the Northern Virginia cities measured.
What Does This Mean For Me?
Homebuyers looking to buy in Spotsylvania will pay much less for the same size home in Stafford or Manassas. If location isn’t as important to you as getting the most bang for your buck, you may be able to save money by buying in Spotsylvania instead of Fredericksburg, or Stafford instead of Manassas. This may also make some homebuyers consider prioritizing shorter commute times by sacrificing their guest rooms or lot sizes. If you’re trying to sell in any of these areas, you can use this information to play up your property’s strong suits while being aware of the pros and cons of each neighborhood. Coldwell Banker offers sellers the opportunity to convey the “story” of their home to the buyer through the “Seller Story” on ColdwellBanker.com. Coldwell Banker agents offer this unique marketing tool because homes are not just “four walls and a roof,” buyers are buying into a lifestyle. Does your Spotsy home have an amazing forested backyard but it’s a bit off the beaten path? Write your Seller Story to reflect how much you love relaxing in your backyard away from the urban jungle. Is your Stafford home close to shopping and restaurants but it’s square-footage-challenged? Your Seller Story should emphasize the short commute times and fun energy of city living. This may convince buyers who are on the fence about moving to a new area that your home is worth the risk.
Advice from a Minimalist Real Estate Agent
By Poppy Merrell
What Your Realtors Should Have Told You
As a self-professed minimalist and hardcore #simpleliving fan, I was looking forward to hearing what Joshua Becker had to say about the home-buying experience. Decluttering and simplifying my lifestyle has been enormously beneficial for me and I was hoping to find a kernel of wisdom that I could pass on to my clients. Instead, I was disappointed to find out that Josh’s multiple realtors over the years have not been living up to our Code of Ethics. Joshua makes a good point—buy the home you need, not the most expensive home you can afford. Yes, technically real estate agents are classified as “salespeople” but every member of the National Association of Realtors pledges to hold themselves to a higher standard, one where the client’s interests come first. With such an important transaction, you want someone with local knowledge, of course, but more than that you want someone with integrity to represent you.
Josh’s story starts out great: he mentions his realtors have been helpful by providing insights into local neighborhoods, market trends and housing prices. He even says “each time, they have taken a genuine self-interest in my family’s well-being.” Well… Not exactly. If your realtor is pushing you to purchase a home that doesn’t make sense for your lifestyle or encouraging you to live beyond your means, they aren’t looking out for your best interests. Not only would I not want someone that irresponsible to be my realtor, I wouldn’t want them to be my friend. As realtors, we want our clients to purchase homes that help them thrive, not live bogged down in debt. We want to make clients for life, not just make a quick buck.
The Importance of Finding the Right Realtor
It’s disappointing that Joshua who has moved five times since college would frame this as “advice you’ll never hear from a realtor.” This is simply not true, although it may have been Joshua’s experience. Realtors have a fiduciary duty to our clients. Not only is encouraging someone to spend more than they should for our own personal gain a really sketchy thing to do, it’s also against the rules we have agreed to follow. Does it happen? Of course. Should it? Absolutely not. This is why it’s so vitally important to work with a realtor who is actually looking out for your best interests, someone who understands your goals in the home-buying process and can make sure that you are realistic during your search.
My Minimalist Home Search Tips
I’m sorry you felt like you were taken advantage of, Joshua. If you’re in the market for a new house in the future, I’d love to help you look for something that actually makes sense for your lifestyle. In the meantime, though, here are my 3 minimalist tips for the home search process after watching hundreds of people go through it! 1) Look at how you actually live. If you’re mostly Netflix and chilling in your bed, a formal dining room or big basement is going to sit there unused. Don’t waste your dollars per square foot on rooms you won’t ever live in. 2) Prioritize kitchens with windows over cabinet space! Natural light and a great view every morning will make you feel richer than a pantry full of canned goods ever will. 3) Unless you are buying a property as an investment or planning on expanding your family, more bedrooms are typically not worth it. At best, your relatives will stay at your house longer.
Coldwell Banker Elite Welcomes Jay Parrish
Meet Jay Parrish
I was born and raised in Northern Virginia and after graduating from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelors in Business Administration, I knew that Fredericksburg was where I wanted to live and raise my family. I’m happy to call Fredericksburg home and have lived here for over a decade. The Fredericksburg area is such a beautiful and historic location tucked right in between Washington, DC and Richmond. I love that I am able to help individuals and families buy and sell their homes in such a great location! I’m passionate about educating my clients through every step of the process equipped with excellent information and market insight, allowing my clients to make the best decisions possible.
Why I’m Different
Before becoming a full time REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Elite I gained extensive sales and negotiating experience with a Fortune 500 corporation, owned and operated a successful local small business and taught marketing and business classes. From my experience as a successful business owner, I am known for outstanding client service, around the clock availability, social media marketing techniques, and as a skilled negotiator with my client’s best interests at heart. I love the challenges that come with a real estate transaction and being able to figure out a solution to allow the client to achieve their goals.
In My Free Time
I love to spend my downtime with my amazing wife and two daughters. I enjoy taking photos of my family and traveling to new places together. I played basketball at Mary Washington and continue to try and play as much as possible to stay in shape!
Coldwell Banker Elite Massaponax
4840 Southpoint Dr.
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Office: 540.735.2654
Mobile: 540.735.5564
jay.parrish@movetofred.com
Coldwell Banker Elite Welcomes Sue McHaar
ABOUT SUE
After moving all over the northern Virginia area, I finally decided to permanently settle down in the town of Stafford, Virginia and it has been my home for the past nine years. Prior to joining Coldwell Banker Elite, I was in the banking field for over ten years, where I developed the skills in handling client’s needs and exceeded their expectations.
I believe strongly that it is not only my duty to represent my clients to the best of my ability, but also, to educate them throughout the entire process. I am dedicated and committed to helping buyers and sellers achieve their requirements and goals.
I’m excited in using my skills and expertise to help you find your dream home within your budget, or list your home for sale and find you a quick buyer!
Coldwell Banker Elite Stafford
100 Parkway Blvd.
Stafford, VA 22554
Office: 540.659.2141 EXT.339
Mobile: 571-225-9326
smchaar@www.coldwellbankerelite.com
