How many listings do you currently have?
A current number is available on request. It generally ranges from a low of 3 to 5 homes during the slow season of a busy year up to a maximum of 20 homes during the busy season of a slow year.

What is the average time on the market?
Most homes sell in 4 to 8 weeks, but individual results can vary widely. Time on the market is within the control of the seller/agent team.

How many showings will we need to find our buyer?
This varies, but we will need 20 to 40 showings on the average.

How many showings should we expect each week?
If our price is in tune with the market, we should have at least four showings to qualified buyers each week in order to sell within 5 weeks.

What is the industry's average selling price to asking price ratio?
Currently over 96%. Call for the latest figure.

What is the selling price to asking price ratio for your listings?
In other words, when an offer arrives, how close to full price are you able to negotiate for your sellers? On the average, my sellers obtain their full asking price. My record is consistent, and well above the industry average. Details are available. The most important thing that I do is to negotiate on my clients' behalf.

How will you determine the expected contract price for my home?
Just like professional appraisers, I customarily select three similar, nearby, recently sold properties and make dollar adjustments to the contract price of each one in order to estimate your property's market value.

How is a home's tax assessment related to that home's expected contract price?
There is no relationship. This question is addressed statistically as well as logically in my real estate books. If there were a reliable relationship, the entire professional appraisal industry would be out of business. Government tax assessments must not be confused with professional appraisals.

What about those web sites which give my home’s value?
Those catchy web sites are designed to sell you something. If they get the value of your home correct, it’s an accident. Mortgage lenders use State licensed appraisers who visit a home before estimating its value. Many classroom hours and thousands of hours of apprenticeship are required to become State licensed. When mortgage lenders start relying on those catchy web sites instead of appraisers, I’ll be impressed. But I’m not holding my breath.

Where should the initial asking price be set for my home?
In the current market, a home should be priced 2% to 5% above the expected contract price. Call me for the latest local selling price to asking price ratio.

Will you market my home alone or with a team?
I will always be available to you. Although I have no full time staff, I have excellent, professional associates who can help me, but this is rarely necessary.

Where is your office located?
My Virginia offices are in McLean and in Potomac Falls. You will probably never visit my office and walk-in buyers for any home are nil. If you're concerned about proximity, I will market your home along with a nearby agent.

FAQ's for Buyers
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How many homes can we expect to see in a day?
We can see as many as 40 homes in a day if necessary.

What is the upper limit of what I can afford?
I can estimate this for you in just a few minutes. Whether you stretch to your upper limit or opt for a more conservative purchase, it is your decision.

How much can I expect to negotiate off a home's asking price?
The average local buyer currently negotiates a small discount off the asking price. Call for the latest figure. My buyers do better than the average!

What is the selling price to asking price ratio for homes you have sold as a buyer-broker?
For many years my buyers obtained nearly 8% off the asking price. My record is consistently much better than the industry average. Between 1999 and 2005 (the hot sellers market), the main goal often was to win my clients' home of choice over other competing buyers, again at a minimum price. The most important thing that I do is to negotiate on my clients' behalf.

How will we determine a market value for the home I intend to buy?
I often perform a full market value analysis for my home buyer clients which is similar to what I do for my home seller clients. Of course, when representing you as a buyer, our objective is to buy for less!

How should the price be set for an initial offer on my home purchase?
A lot of information can be developed for this important step. We must consider the initial offer as it relates to a possible final offer (or the highest price you would pay for a home) and how you can avoid ending up there. Negotiating strategy and timing changes greatly with market conditions.

Can we find out when a home was bought and what the seller paid for it?
Yes in most cases.

Can we find out how long a home has been on the market?
Yes indeed, and more importantly, how long it has been on the market at its current price. As a rule of thumb, a home that has been on the market for 4 weeks or more at the same price is over-priced by at least 5%.

Do you offer buyer-broker services?
Yes and the concept is very popular locally. As a buyer, you need someone on your side!

What commission do you charge for buyer-brokerage?
None of my buyers have ever paid for this service. The seller has always paid the entire commission. I use special language to accomplish this in my agreements.

How big a car do you drive?
I own a late model, light color, Lincoln Town Car.

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