Homeownership Tax Deductions

It's not just that Interest Rates are low. It's not just that home prices remain low.
You can also reduce your taxes owning a home.

For more information on Homeowner Tax Deductions, click here

There are so many good reasons to move from renting to owning your home. Call me, email me or check out my website and let me work with you to get you a home that meets your needs!

Homes for Sale in the 10th and Page Neigborhood

Homes for Sale in Belmont in Charlottesville, VA

Condos and Townhomes for Sale in Charlottesville, VA

Quinton Beckham
The Beckham Team
Keller Williams Realty
3510 Remson Court, Suite 301
Charlottesville VA, 22901
quintonbeckham@me.com
434.242.6212
www.thebeckhamteam.com

Charlottesville VA Restaurant Week!!

Yes, it's the first holiday of the New Year. And not just one day, BUT A WHOLE WEEK! I am, of course, speaking of restaurant week, Starting Saturday January 24th and going through Saturday January 31st, this is your opportunity to have a meal at all of Charlottesville's best restaurants while supporting a local charity. 

This week, $1 for every meal purchased will go to support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Last year they distributed over 18 million meals to hungry families in need and expect to have an even higher volume this year. As you enjoy great food from community conscious restaurants that dollar that you provide to the food bank will feed four families! 

Here's the How To from Courtenay Stuart: 

How to do Restaurant Week

The very first Charlottesville Restaurant Week had foodies buzzing and tables filling up faster than a top chef can slice a ripe tomato. Ditto for this one in January. Getting in on the fun is easy– but it requires a little planning. Here’s how:

Step 1: Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 24th-Saturday, January 31st

Step 2: Peruse the menus from the participating restaurants to decide which ones suit your fancy. With so many participating, you can’t visit one every night!

Step 2: Call each restaurant directly to make your reservation, and mention that you’re coming in for “Restaurant Week.” Reservations are first-come, first-served; and chefs report that interest has been running high, so don’t tarry.

Step 4: Please show up on time, and make sure you’re dressed to make your mama proud, since some of the participating establishments have dress codes.

Step 5: Make sure you order off the special “Restaurant Week” menu, as some of the participating restaurants will also offer their regular— i.e. more expensive— menu. (Everyone will be dismayed, and you might end up washing dishes, if you end up ordering the $45 flaming surf-and-turf that’s not part of the special prix fixe menu.)

Step 6: Savor your meal, and when paying your bill, please remember that drinks, tax, and tips are not included.

Click Here to Access the Restaurant Week Website

One of my favorite restaurants that I would recommend you get in to is Three Penny Cafe on West Main. 

The Restaurant menu at Three Penny includes some delightful dishes such as a Petit Filet Mignon, Rockfish (particularly good) and anamazing Local Sesame Seed Crusted Tofu with Udon Noodles. There are great cocktails as well! Reservations are first come, first served so don't wait! And you never now, show up at Three Penny and you might even run into me there. 

There are lots of great restaurants participating so check them out. You get a chance to try out restaurants while helping others who are need of food as well. I can not imagine a greater combination. 

And as always, if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Charlottesville, call me, I would love to help! Mention that you found me because of this add and I will even donate a portion of my commission from your sale to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank as well! No on in our country shoudl ever, ever, go hungry. 

Homes for Sale in the 10th and Page Neigborhood

Homes for Sale in Belmont in Charlottesville, VA

Condos and Townhomes for Sale in Charlottesville, VA

Quinton Beckham
The Beckham Team
Keller Williams Realty
3510 Remson Court, Suite 301
Charlottesville VA, 22901
quintonbeckham@me.com
434.242.6212
www.thebeckhamteam.com

What does 2015 Hold for the Real Estate Market.

I was talking with a client this weekend who asked me what I saw in my crystal ball for real estate in 2015. Truth is, I don't own a crystal ball. I don't even own anything that could be called crystal. Nevertheless, predicting what is to come is an age-old tradition amongst real estate agents that has become only more complicated in the information age.

We have lots of sources of information and there is a tendency to think that we can truly narrow and predict everything that is going to happen for a particular piece of property at the drop of a hat. That's not true. In fact, I would wager a lot of it is crystal ball chicanery designed to make us look smarter than the average bear and 'seal the deal' with a particular client. Now, that's not to say that all of it is verbal sleight of hand.

So here are a few predictions that have a very high likelihood of being true both here in the Charlottesville Real Estate Market as well as the Nation as a whole.

Millenials are Moving into the Market

The tried and true generation that has fueled the market up to now has been Baby Boomers. This is an easy thing to say as they have been the largest percent of the working / consuming population for decades. They placed a much higher value on being in one city for life and it showed in their propensity to buy a home and settle down. But that's not so true today. The largest cohort of population by age group is 23-year-olds. Followed closely by 24 and 22-year-olds. This is a huge number of people who are in the age bracket where they married and start families or choose places to settle down and work a job for a while. As this groups gathers their buying power they can make an impact in the market and help to push up home prices a small amount over the next decade. 

Where we live is changing as a Nation

As the average age of home buyers begins to drop, the places they buy are changing as well. This generation is noted for wanting to live in smaller, more efficient, more green homes. They do not believe that those homes are solely located in rural areas but are looking for easier access to the city, decreased reliance on cars for transportation and more urban areas. Ass to this that New construction remains at all time lows and there is simply not as much housing available in suburbs and rural areas for first time home buyers to buy. 

Mortgage Rates will Rise. 

They will, I swear. I know, I know; we said that in 2014 and it didn't really happen. But it is coming. I think people who are a little younger than I do not remember the 80's. In the 80's I bought a house and got a mortgage rate of 14%. All of my friends were so impressed I got a rate that low! So here's the low down. When rates go up, how much house you can afford goes down. By a lot. And it's coming. Maybe in a small dose this time around but it will continue. It's the way of the world that as the markets improve the rates go up. And the market has very little else to do after the crash than improve. Some of the rate increase will be offset for FHA borrowers in the decrease in costs for Mortgage Insurance Premiums that FHA is enacting. 

Home Prices will go up, but not as much as you think

Once the market began to recover home prices JUMPED up at a pretty good rate. This was mostly rebound; markets trying to get back to something close to their original value. I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but that's over. Now we are back to something more normal. Normal meaning something before the market went crazy with unsustainable growth. If you're selling, however much you may read blurbs that say home prices are up 10%, it's just not true. At least not how you think. Average home prices may be going up a lot, but the average home values are not going up that fast. The prices are climbing faster because we have fewer and fewer distressed, foreclosed or short sale properties on the market. So now, if you want a $400,000 home you actually have to pay $400,000 for it. This raises the median price. The values are not climbing that fast. They are starting to stabilize and their growth will be largely dependent on the demand and the economy. 

And of course, if you want to buy or sell a home in the Greater Charlottesville area, then I want to help you. 

Belmont Homes for Sale in Charlottesville 

Luxury Homes for Sale in the Charlottesville / Albemarle Area

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty 

3510 Remson Court, #301

Charlottesville VA, 22901

www.thebeckhamteam.com

The Most Important Client in the World

Who's the Most Important Client in the World? 

I find myself in lots of conversations with other agents lately about whether what our industry is composed of 'sales professionals' or 'service professionals.' This is a very telling conversation. Many agents across the country have built million dollar businesses by consistently applying proven sales models to their businesses. Their contact network grows and as a result of that their volumes grow and they hire additional help (which they do carefully to get talented people) to handle the increased number of clients successfully.

I have no issues with this whatsoever. You do have to plan your business and get help in order to grow and when managed correctly, the growth results in improved service for your clients. It's something I have frequent dreams of. I would love to spend the day working with clients on important things like choosing the home that truly meets their needs. A place that they can spend the next ten or twenty years in. I want to help people who are retiring get the best return on the home they are selling that is now bigger and costlier than they really need and spend time with them to really know what they are planning for their life so I can do my part even better. 

When I have these sales vs. service conversations, I think back on my favorite parts of this profession and wonder, what part of all this is actually sales? I mean, there are certainly portions that are sales. When you want to sell your house I have to get the word out there that its for sale. I need to have good timing with then it goes on the market and know the neighborhood and market as a whole to get you buyers who are ready to buy and wanting your house. Definitely sales. But not at all what I spend the majority of my time on. 

Good agents spend the majority of their time on predicting the "bumps in the road" for their clients and taking action to smooth those out before they are on the horizon. Good agents spend time with their clients to find out what they actually are wanting and helping them get there. When yo want to buy a house you are not just making an investment in your family's future; you have an image in your head of the life that you want. Room for the kids to play and not be so cramped that every morning isn't a jumble of backpacks and stepped-on-toes and dropped lunches. You want a dining room for holiday dinners. Do you want to spend your weekends walking the Downtown Mall or roller skating at Carver gym on a Friday night? Do you picture a yard where you play soccer with the kids or a place that you plant your own vegetables every spring? 

These are all important things when determining your overall satisfaction with a house. Sometimes its even telling a client that they can't have it all. These take time. These are not about the next sale or lead or client. These are about you, the client. 

I believe that this is what makes us a service industry. 

When you are in the sales industry, the most important client in the world is the next one.

When you are in the service industry, the most important client in the world is the one I am sitting across from right now. 

Homes for sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville 

Homes for Sale in the Cherry Hill Neighborhood of Charlottesville 

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Charlottesville Area, I would be very happy to help you. 

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty

3510 Remson Court, Suite 301

Charlottesville VA, 22901

quintonbeckham@me.com

Cell: 434.242.6212

www.thebeckhamteam.com 

The Best Little Market in Belmont

If you're a resident in the Belmont Neighborhood than you have surely been to the C'ville Market, and if you haven't , then you need to give it a stop. Located near the intersection of Carlton Road and Carlton Avenue, the C'ville Market is in the same shopping center as Belmont Pizza and Pub.

As the retail arm of Cavalier Produce, they have all of the most fresh local produce and maintain their motto, "If it's in Season, we have it!" You won't find a huge store when you walk in, but rather a rather unassuming market that has a great selection of not only local produce, but meats produced by local farms as well. Breads by local mills and bakeries and a great selection of chocolate of all varieties positioned near the check out registers so that, on the rare occasion you have to wait to check out, you can survey just what chocolate you want to take home with you to go with those fresh strawberries and that bottle of wine from their extensive selection.

CLICK HERE to go to the C'ville Market Home Page

Locally owned and operated by Steve and Denise Yetzer, the Market has a strong focus on supporting
their local community that can be seen in the Local Artist Wall behind the register, their support of non-commercial public radio as well as the local ASPCA. Now, I am always one that loves to have local businesses, with local products that support their community, and because of that I never mind paying a little extra to keep the economy that I live and work in strong. But at the C'ville Market, you can step out the door with a bag of groceries that is not just full of variety but also very inexpensive! You can't do your full spectrum of shopping their - if you need a ton of cleaning products or expect to be able to pick up a package of lightbulbs and a quart of motor oil with your asparagus and gallon of milk, then this may not be the place for you. But for your regular day to day picking up things on the way home from work and stocking the kitchen pantry, this is a great stop that you should check out. And don't forget to look up their deal on Cardagin, you can get a free reusable grocery bag as a part of their commitment to the environment AND $5 dollars off any purchase of $25 or more, once a month, every month. And that's just the beginning.

So, if you are a Belmont Resident who hasn't been to visit the C'ville Market, you need to make a stop and check it out, I think you'll be surprised.

And if you are not a resident of Belmont but would like to be, check out the links below for homes for sale in the City of Charlottesville.

Belmont Homes for Sale
Condos in the City of Charlottesville
Johnson Village Homes for Sale


Keller Williams Realty - Charlottesville
Quinton Beckham
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-home-charlottesville.com

51 Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster - Tip #6

In our ongoing series on 51 Ways to Make your Home Sell Faster we now reach Tip #6



Homes for Sale in Charlottesville, VA
Homes for Sale in Belmont 
Luxury Homes for Sale in Charlottesville, VA

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty - Charlottesville
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

2013 Real Estate Market so far, and what it may mean to you in Charlottesville, VA

We have been saying it for weeks now, months even - The Real Estate Market is Picking up, getting stronger and moving faster. So lets take a look at Charlottesville and see how it's doing compared to  last year...

So what does this mean? I am not a statistician, but I can tell you what I see in my own business and that of my office and associates. 

Properties Sold - 

The beginning of 2012 saw a lot more movement by investors snapping up properties that were short sales or foreclosed on. These were not first time home buyers, but investors or those whose financial status was such that they were "looking for a deal" on a house. January of this year also saw a lot of that leftover inventory being taken. This is the last movement of investors who are looking for properties to flip or rent out before they number of them on the market decreases. 

Days on Market

Yep , things are picking up speed. Although there are still a lot of people who are unemployed or under-employed, there is still an overall decrease in unemployment and an increasing confidence in the economy as a whole. Combine this with continued mortgage interest rates at record lows and the average family or first time home buyer has an opportunity to break out of being trapped in a rental market and get that very first home of their own. I have clients who make the average amount of money for the area (about $25,500 per year) and others who are making six figures and have been renting. No matter where they fall, they are recognizing the unique opportunity that exists right now: 

Homes that have not regained their prior price tag and interest rates that make buying with a monthly payment that is the same or lower than renting. 

Median Prices

Everywhere you look, the number of distressed properties is decreasing and Charlottesville is no different. For them to decrease, they must be sold. The low prices on these homes water down the overall median prices, which is why we see a little bit of a drop in January 2013. But hold on to your checkbook, because I would predict that as these properties continue to disappear and the pace of the market as a whole picks up, we will see that Median price continue to climb - and at a pace that we have not seen for years. 

So why should you care? 

All of this means that no matter who you are or what your circumstance is, you have an opportunity to move from renting to owning, from being packed into a smaller home to upgrading to a home that better suits your family. It means that the economy and the Real Estate Market is set to let you explore making some personal gains and gaining some tax advantages that you can not have renting. 

And one quick note about Short Sales

And if you are reading this and angry at the predictions because you are still in one of the homes that is upside down, there is some good news for you as well. There are still those families out there that are in homes that are deeply underwater - by $30,000 to $100,000. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act, originally scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012, was extended through the end of 2013. WIthout this important piece of legislation if you did manage to short sale your home and get out from under a crippling mortgage you then got hit with a tax on the amount of debt that was forgiven. Let's say you sold a home for $100,000 to avoid a foreclosure but had a mortgage note of $200,000. On your taxes at the end of the year you had to claim $100,000 as income, as a gift from your lender, and then be taxed on it. (This is an oversimplification, see your tax professional for details about your particular situation.) The point is, you have a chance to get out from under the mortgage, have the difference in debt forgiven AND not be taxed on it. Your best shot to do this is in the time between now and August. 

Points to Take Away

- Thinking you can not afford a home? 

You may be wrong. Make an appointment to see your lender or call your REALTOR to see who they would recommend you talk to. You might be surprised at the opportunities that exist for you. 

- Ready to upgrade your home? 

Talk to your REALTOR. The timing could not be better as there more families out there that could afford to buy the home you are in and better opportunity for you to upgrade the home you live in without a huge increase in your payments. 

- Stuck in a home that is upside down? 

Again, talk to your REALTOR and let them recommend some Attorneys or CPAs to talk you through your options - this may be your last best option for getting out of an upside down home, taking a break for a few years and then purchasing a home again in 2015. Three years sound like a long time? It may not be when you look at how long it would take the home you are in to regain the value it had when you bought it. If you bought at the peak of the housing market, this could be especially true for you. 

See City of Charlottesville, VA Homes for Sale

Homes for Sale in Belmont

Condos and Townhomes for Sale in Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty - Charlottesville

1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100

Charlottesville, VA 22901

434.242.6212

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

51 Ways to Make your Home Sell Faster - Tip #5

Number five in our continuing series of simple tips to make your home SELL!
And yes, we started playing with the special effects...

Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA

Homes for Sale in Redfields Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA

Luxury Homes for Sale in Charlottesville / Albemarle

Keller Williams Realty - Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham

1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100

Charlottesville, VA 22901

434.242.6212

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Think you can't get a home loan? Think again

I think what is probably the most frequent fear of first time home buyers - or rather, those who dream of being first time home buyers - is that they won't be able to qualify for a mortgage.

I think most of us have been there at one time or another; whether you were a teen-ager sitting across from the car salesman or you have just been through the wringer with the economy and are trying to get out of paying high rents for something that is not yours, the fear of being turned town for a mortgage can paralyze you into not even trying.
Just this week I had a meeting with  a family that was in a similar position. They had owned a home that was their 'dream home.' But then there was a flood. After the flood there was mold. The wife slipped and fractured her hip, requiring she be on temporary disability for six months. When they went to call their homeowner's insurance company, the company didn't know who they were. Lo and behold, after having had their mortgage sold off from company to the next a few times, there had been a mix up and the premiums that should have been protecting their home against just such a disaster were not being paid by the latest company to own their home.
After numerous phone calls and an attorney they did the only thing they could do to escape the black mold that was rising out of the basement and into their home: they left.

They called me not too long ago after having found me online and you could hear the emotion over the phone as they told me their story. They had left the home they owned and moved into a home that they are still leasing, but now the owner of the home that they are leasing wants to sell and they need a place to live. After talking to them I explained that the best thing to do was to come in to the office, meet with our mortgage officer - movement mortgage, a great company that we work with who keeps an office right with us to help our clients - and to just take a look and see what things looked like.
The couple was nearly tearful as they explained their story to us and gave us permission to check into their credit history and see what was possible.
Lo and behold, they are not that bad off. Yes, their old home shows negatively on their credit, but it was nearly three years ago that this happened and otherwise, they have good income, decent credit and can make some small changes that will allow us to get them into a home of their very own. Many handshakes and hugs later, they left with a plan to do some simple things to raise their credit scores and help them put money away to pay closing costs. It helped too that the husband had served in the Marines and they qualified for a VA loan.
In about three or four months, we should be able to have them in a home that they can own again, along with all of the tax advantages that go along with it and the simple pride of having a place to call their own.
What's the moral of this story? Simply this: No matter how bad you think things are, not taking the time to pre-qualify always works against you. Even the worst of credit can be repaired and a good lender has loan officers that can give you a plan, a time line and some hope. And who knows who these loan officers are? You REALTOR.
Think you can't buy a home because of your credit, you income or your past? You might be surprised. But you won't know if you don't ask.

If you want to know if you can own a home of your own, call me, I can help.

Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA
Homes for Sale in the Rugby Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA
Resources and tips for Home Sellers in Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty Charlottesville
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlotteville.com

Routines and the Betrayal of Small Appliances

Yesterday I woke up at 5am - my usual time - and stumbled into the kitchen to hit the start button on the coffee pot that I had set up the night before. I pushed the button and the face of the coffee pot lit up with it's cheerful morning light. I am always pleased with its little LED glow; the promise of hot coffee, buzzing synapses and the jolt to full consciousness so that I can face my day is exactly what everyone should be greeted with in the pearly pre-dawn light. I stood there in the fuzzy pants and sweatshirt that I had thrown on before making the trek to the kitchen and stretched and yawned as I waited for my pot of ambition. 

Considering that I was only half-conscious it took me more than a few minutes to realize that I was not hearing that happy little burble of hot water pouring through ground coffee beans. My still-sleep-addled brain wondered at the lack of sound. 
Was I losing my hearing? 
Had last night's water have such low viscosity that it was simply sliding noiselessly through the filter and the other mechanics of my early-morning-make-me-smart machine. I pushed the button again turning it off. Then turned it back on. I put my hand on the hot plate to see if it was warm (not the best move, but hey, I was not fully awake yet) and all I could feel was the cold dread of a coffee pot that was not going to work. 

Like a Comcast repairman, I unplugged it, counted to thirty and then plugged it back in. Pushed the button. No warmth. No water moving through coffee grinds. No love. 

My hands and feet went numb, there was darkness stirring at the edges of my vision as I leaned on the edge of the counter unable to move or react. 
HOW COULD I START MY DAY IF THERE WAS NO COFFEE?????? 

I didn't understand. This coffee pot and I have had a great relationship. For years it has been my friend and confidante; always greeting me in the morning and helping me to get started, to move, to think. It listened when I complained about life and relationships and gave me wise counsel to move forward with life and not to look back, to set goals and work steadily towards them, to honor my emotions but not let them rule me. How could it just sit there with that stoic look on its little electronic clock face and refuse me now? 

Hurt and disillusioned, I went and laid back down on my bed. As I stared in mute disppointment I could hear my iPhone buzzing as the morning emails began to arrive. I was stuck. Motionless. Completely lacking in ambition. Unable to open my laptop to blog or post an ad; to check on any of the deals that were in negotiation. 

Taking a deep breath, I got up. I checked the coffee pot again.

Still broke. 

I laid back down. 

As the room brightened with the rising sun, I forced myself out of bed, showered angrily and drove to Shenandoah Joes and ordered coffee to drink as I sulked on the used sofa in the corner and read every bit of bad news CNN and USA Today had to offer on my iPhone app. Terrorism? Boy, tell me about it. 

I did eventually break myself out of it (I am sure the coffee and Shenandoah Joe's helped) and managed to get to a meeting on time, sign a listing agreement, ratify one contract for a buyer and get an offer on another listing of mine. All in all, I survived and it ended up being not such a bad day. When i got home last night I went to get a glass out of the cubbard and happened to glance up. There, staring accusingly at me, was my old fashioned French Press coffee pot.  

So what's the point of this little drama of my life? As I sit at the counter this morning sipping the amazingly good coffee from my French Press I am reminded that although routines are wonderful things - they help us to build happy and productive habits, after all - that we must also be prepared to improvise and flex when life throws us things that were not in our plan. As noted by the wise Mother of John Connor; The Future Is Not Set. 

If we are ready for our routine to go awry, willing to face it with curiosity and not be bound by the thought-wall of "but I always do it this way" then perhaps we will be more open to other solutions. Any agent who has weathered the bursting of the bubble can tell you, its about reading the changes and following them, not about succumbing to them and paralysis is the worst reaction of all. 

So, when you feel your business (or your life) changing and the routines that have served you for years are no longer working, look in your mental bubbards for the french press and do not give in to the paralysing emotions that may occur - there is a solution out there, if we let ourselves think of it. 

And of course, If you are looking to buy a home, sell a home, or invest in Real Estate, please call me. I will grab a cup of coffee for us both and work to get you the best deal possible!

Luxury Homes for Sale in Charlottesville
Homes for sale in Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville
Homes for Sale in Redfields Neighborhood of Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty - Charlottesville
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Real Estate is BACK!

Data provided by ActiveRain, the #1 social community for real estate professionals.

Luxury Homes for Sale in Charlottesville / Albemarle
Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

51 Ways to Make your Home Sell Faster - Tip #3

The third of our Short Weblogs with tips to help you sell your Home faster!

Click the links below for:

 All Homes for Sale in Charlottesville
Homes for Sale in Belmont
Homes for Sale in the Rugby Neighborhood
Homes for Sale in Redfields

For more Information or a Home Sale Consultation, Contact me:

Quinton Beckham, Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville VA, 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Looking to get money back on your remodel? Here's the top ten ways to do it

No matter who we are, we fix up our homes and then when we go to sell them, we want to get our money back. Now, we all know you don't get it ALL back, but here's a look at the top ten ways to increase the sale price of your home with a remodel and what you can expect recoup:

Selling your Home in Charlottesville? I can help you get the most for your home!

Search Homes for Sale in Charlottesville, VA

Search Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty

1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100

Charlottesville, VA 22901

434.242.6212

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 

51 tips to make you home SELL - Tip #2

I know many of these tips seem silly as you listen to them and you think, "what? no buyer would ever notice that..."

But I dare you, go look out of your windows before you hit the play button, look carefully, then come back and watch...





And as always,
If you are looking to Buy a Home in Charlottesville,
Sell your Home in Charlottesville
Or Invest in Real Estate.

I want to help!

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

• 
  
  Every day as I look around the house I see things that I think I want to clean, or at least ought to clean, and each day I walk past them to hurry out to the office or to meet clients and show them the more pristine homes that I am trying to sell. At least four times a month I lecture those seeking to sell their homes on the value of a pristine Kitchen, yet in mine, there is a sad lack of organization and floors that you could eat of off.
  
  Maybe housework is the secret, but I am not sure that I will ever know. 

  Is Housework the Secret to a Happier, Healthier Life?

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Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Looking to Sell your Charlottesville home?
Buy a Condominium in Charlottesville?
Maybe you want to See Homes for Sale in Belmont?
Invest in Real Estate?

Contact me and let me help you have a smooth and easy transaction with the quickest closing possible!

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Beautiful Home across from Belmont Park!

Click here to see this Belmont Home that is FULL OF CHARM!

It's About Community... And Brunch

Most Real Estate Agents will spend time talking to you about your neighborhood or your community. That's our job - to know the neighborhoods and to help you find not just a house, but a home. When you think about it, that's really a tall order. If you take a minute and search the internet there is a ton of poetry, essays and commentary about what makes a house a home.

Depending on who you read or what your particular bent is, homes are made by having our families in them, by having the lawn and landscaping be perfect, by decorating and entertaining or by the community itself - whether we all go to the same church, like the same sports team or maybe just that we can go next door and borrow a rake or a shovel, a cup of sugar or a serving dish when we need one. No matter which of the many things make you think of your house as a home, it all means having a place where we help make the lives of the people around us better.

Richard, Chris and Keira

On Saturday I got to have brunch at La Taza in Belmont with a few of the people who help make me feel like I am home. They are an incredible bunch who have one thing in common - they all participate in a bicycle ride that covers about 425 miles between Burlington, VT and Portland, ME every year in August. And they have been doing it for over a decade. The ride is called the Charity Treks Ride and details can be found at www.charitytreks.org.

Steve "Wonderdog"

Charity Treks' first ride was in 2002 when a group of people came together to raise money by riding bicycles and raising money to help fund research by the UCLA AIDS Institute and the Emory Vaccine Center that brings us closer each year to finding a vaccine for HIV. They come from all walks of life and all across the country. Richard is from Sacramento. Mark, Aims, Kat, Peter and Chris are from here in Charlottesville, Steve is from Montana. Over the years, along with a few hundred of others, we have ridden literally thousands of miles together and raised over a million dollars that have gone on to provide seed grants to researchers who have leveraged that money into tens of millions of dollars in funding from NIH and other groups - all towards a cure for a pandemic that no continent, no race - no neighborhood - has managed to hide from.

There is no way to explain the sense of family we have built in a short blog posting. They are not necessarily my neighbors but the group has formed many bonds over the decade+ that we have all spent time on the road together; and though no one comes knocking on your tent flap asking for a cup of sugar or to borrow a rake (yes, we camp for the five days it takes to bicycle that far) there is plenty of sharing and being a small, mobile community whose goal is to make the world a little better, a little easier to smile in, a little less scary. And that isn't what community really is about anyways? We find it surrounded by people that we both expect and surprise us, in ways both common and unique, but in the end, we all find it when we set out to make a difference and find that there are others who want to make a difference too.

I am riding in August to support research into a Vaccine against HIV, if you would like to support me in this cause, CLICK HERE
My goal this year is to raise $5000 - I have $4300 dollars to go!

And since I am still a Real Estate Agent,
Click Here to See homes for Sale in Belmont
Click Here to See homes for Sale in Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Let's Talk about Short Sales... But only for 2013

While perusing Facebook and catching up in what my friends across the country were doing I ran across one Tucker Griffin and Barnes' postings which talked about the Debt Forgiveness Act. Forgive me if I sound like I am quoting, and I guess in many ways I am, but Bill tucker is a lawyer in Charlottesville with over 30 years experience leading the Firm's Real Estate Group in all manner of Real Estate related issues. Tucker Griffin and Barnes is an excellent firm with a stellar reputation that, despite being a full service law firm, has managed to stay focused on their community.

Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

What he pointed out in this posting was that the Debt Forgiveness Act has been extended to December 31, 2013. This allows homeowners who are are at risk of foreclosure - upside down on their mortgages and going through financial issues that could make them fall behind on payments - to have an opportunity to sell the home they are in while avoiding being taxed on the "forgiven" debt. This is an incredible boon to any family that is feeling trapped in a home that they bought at the peak of the market that they can no longer keep up with after the recession.

For the full posting from Tucker, Griffin and Barnes, click here. 

If you or someone you know is falling behind on their mortgage payments or at risk of foreclosure, a short sale offers you unique opportunities to get a fresh start without having to file bankruptcy or pay an enormous tax bill. For more information, contact me at 434.242.6212 and I strongly recommend that you read the link above.

Condominiums for sale in the City of Charlottesville

If you are looking to Buy a Home, Sell a Home or Invest in Real Estate, call me -

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams  Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Friday's child is loving and giving...

So you've done it, you made the plunge, chose a Real Estate Agent and you are putting your home on the market; you are ready to get it out there and don't want to wait another day! But maybe you should.

One thing that every Real Estate Agent knows and lives by, the longer your home is on the market, the less likely you are get your asking price. Days on Market is the holy grail of negotiating and one of the few unarguable points in determining the how close to your asking price that first golden offer is; the longer on the market, the less likely it is you will get the price you ask for.

In this era of online everything there is simply one magic day for marketing a home and getting the most bang for your electronic debut - Friday. According the Real Estate Analysts Redfin, homes listed on a Friday garnered 99.1% of their asking price in the actual sale. (Remember folks, that is an average, your individual experience will absolutely vary according to the market you are in, your home itself, the neighborhood and local trends.)

Homes for Sale in the City of Charlottesville, Virginia

Nailing the day that a home listing hits the internet is crucial according to Glenn Kelman, President and CEO of Redfin, which covers 19 markets in the U.S. "You get four times the traffic on the day of debut than any other time of the week, and you only get one chance," he says, "Soon, you're yesterday's news." Properties listed on a Friday also sell the fastest, average days on the market being only 81 days.


But what makes Friday so special? Richard Ryan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester says that adults typically work a Monday through Friday workweek (adults who are NOT real estate agents, I should add) and are more upbeat and enthusiastic on a Friday. They also tend to report more energy and vitality on the weekends which could make them more proactive in actually seeing your home or making an offer.

Homes for sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

So if Friday is the best day to debut, what is the worst? Sundays. Homes that debut on a Sunday end up selling, on average, for 98.4% of asking price. That could be a difference of nearly $5000 on a $500,000 home. Sunday listings have to sit around for a few days before people start lining up home tours for them and by that time, newer listings may make the Sunday debuts seem stale.

Now you can't hang your entire marketing plan for selling a home on the day of the week, but in this market of ups and downs and low inventory and competitive buyers, we certainly can take every little bump to help us that we can get. The number of factors that go into a home sale are so numerous as to be immeasurable, one of the many reasons you need a Real Estate Agent to help you navigate it and get the best price and best net proceeds for your home.

As always, if you are looking to Sell a Home in Charlottesville, Buy a home in Charlottesville or want to Invest in Real Estate, email me or give me a call, I would love to be the agent that helps makes it the absolute best experience for you possible.


Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Click here for the complete article from the WSJ

Keller Williams now Largest Real Estate Franchise in the United States

Keller Williams Realty Now #1 Real Estate Company in the United States by Agent Count
Company also announces franchise expansion into Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Turkey

DALLAS, TEXAS (February 17, 2013) — Keller Williams Realty, Inc. announced today that it is the largest real estate franchise company by agent count in the United States, with approximately 80,000 associates. In recent years, Keller Williams Realty has posted record growth numbers, surpassing RE/MAX, Century 21, and now Coldwell Banker to secure the industry’s top position. The news, based on publically available information as of February 6, 2013, was announced in front of more than 10,000 Keller Williams associates during the company’s annual convention in Dallas, Texas.
During his standing-room-only, annual State of the Company address, CEO Mark Willis made the announcement, stating, “Keller Williams associates: We are one family. We have one destiny. We share one thing ... We are America’s #1 real estate company by agent count!”
Willis also reported strong productivity gains by Keller Williams associates in 2012. Year over year, per-agent units increased 23 percent, closed volume was up 31 percent, and gross commission income rose 28 percent. Moreover, a record 91 percent of the company’s offices were profitable for the year. The company also announced its final profit share total for the year, which added up to more than $55 million in profits distributed to Keller Williams associates – an increase of 44 percent over the previous year.
Keller Williams Realty President Mary Tennant updated attendees on the company’s charitable 501(c)(3) entity, KW Cares, which in 2012 awarded $2.7 million in grants to associates and their families in need.
And finally, Keller Williams Worldwide President Chris Heller announced plans to expand into two new regions: (1) Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; and (2) Turkey. The company previously

announced global franchise agreements in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Southern Africa. Heller also extended a big welcome to more than 70 international guests who were visiting from 18 countries.
“One of the keys to Keller Williams Realty’s phenomenal success has been our ability to grow organically – from agent to agent, from market center to market center, from country to country – earning our reputation one person at a time,” Heller said.
Willis’ presentation was followed by a 30th anniversary party. The No. 1 announcement and celebration capped a remarkable year for the Austin, TX-based company:

• -  J.D. Power and Associates ranked Keller Williams “Highest in Customer Satisfaction” among both home buyers and home sellers.*
  
• - Keller Williams was ranked No. 9 on America’s Top 150 Workplaces – the only national real estate company on the list.
  
• - And in April, Keller Williams co-founder and bestselling author Gary Keller will publish his latest book, The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results.
  Willis thanked associates and implored them to “Never back down” from their new position as the largest real estate company in the United States: “Let’s celebrate tonight, but watch out, competition. Tomorrow we’re going to be working harder than we’ve ever worked before. The real prize we’re pursuing is to be #1 in agent count and transactions and volume all across the world!”
  
  *Disclaimer: Keller Williams received the highest numerical score among full service real estate firms for home buyers and home sellers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM. Study based on 2,994 total evaluations measuring five firms and measures opinions of individuals who bought or sold a home between March 2011 and April 2012. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed March-May 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com 
• 
  
• Looking to buy a Charlottesville Home? 
• Sell your Charlottesville Home? 
• Invest in Real Estate? 
• 
  
• Call me and let me bring the strength of the Country's largest Real Estate Firm to meeting your needs!
• 
  
• Quinton Beckham
• Keller Williams Realty
• 434.242.6212
• www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 
•