Northern Virginia Real Estate

October 2021 Market Update

Leave a comment

Wow, I blinked, and September has ended. Time seems to go by faster and faster these days; it is just crazy to me. As I mentioned last month, we are still busy helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs. The market is still outperforming other recent, non-pandemic years as far as sales and prices are concerned by wide margins. Call me if you want to know the exact numbers. 

The overall pace of sales is very close to last year’s pace for this same timeframe.  However, the number of sales year-to-date in Northern Virginia is up over 24% versus 2020. In addition, sales prices are up over 11%. It is not as frenetic as earlier this year, but the numbers prove we still have a robust real estate market here locally. I recently read that the average Virginian has gained $50,000 in equity since last September. I am sure that number is higher here in Northern Virginia, as our prices far exceed the rest of the state. Real estate is truly a great way to build wealth, so spread the word if you know of anyone looking to become a homeowner – we can help.

More good news – we are not seeing evictions, foreclosures, or prices tumbling as had been predicted by many in the media. People are taking advantage of rental programs to stay in their homes.  The number of individuals in forbearance has dropped again – only 1.5 million people remain in the program. Loan modifications reached a 15-month high in September, which means people will stay in their homes after forbearance timelines end, and as I previously mentioned, prices are up.  Now, prices won’t skyrocket like they did earlier this year, but home prices will experience a more moderate escalation, as will home values. The reason is, although we have more inventory than last year, we still have historically very low levels of inventory. Couple this with strong demand, and we will see values increase; all good news and a more healthy market.  If you have any questions relating to buying or selling, please feel free to call me.

Have a great season and enjoy these comfortable Fall temperatures! Happy Halloween!

April 2021 Market Update

Leave a comment

The Northern Virginia real estate market continues to amaze me. Inventory levels remain extremely low, demand remains extraordinarily high, and this is still occurring even though rates have increased slightly over the last few weeks. I do not believe this will change or slow down any time in the near future. The level of demand is just too high.

We continue to see multiple contract situations as the new normal throughout much of Northern Virginia. It is common to see all contingencies being removed and prices set way above the original list price in these situations. In early March, I wrote a contract on a house in North Arlington that was listed for $935,000. It was a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home, and just 1,280 square feet. The offer was cash, close in two weeks with no contingencies, and my buyer offered $1,026,000. According to the listing agent, we were not even close! One of the 23 received offers went up to $1,081,000. Insane! This leaves 22 other active buyers still looking to own in that price point in Arlington – so again, I don’t see this market slowing any time soon. All the being said, the condo market is the only anomaly as most condos are sitting on the market.

So, what is going to happen is what I am often asked. My belief is that inventory will remain low for the foreseeable future as people have purchased or refinanced at exceptionally low rates. As rates increase, there will be little, if any, motivation to move. If someone has a $500,000 mortgage with an interest rate of 2.75%, what will motivate them to move to a home with a $750,000 mortgage at 4% or even higher? I think this is what will stagnate inventory levels over the next few years. People will only move if there is a genuine need to do so – like marriage, kids, schools, job, divorce, death, etc.

Speaking about interest rates, they have inched above 3% for the first time in several months, but please keep this in mind, they are still below where they were this same time last year and are still below historical lows mortgages. Earlier I mentioned rates at 4% or higher; I don’t believe we will be there for some time, so no need to worry about this happening. I foresee we will be in the low to mid 3’s for the remainder of the year.

As always, I am more than happy to speak with you about your situation in more detail as each situation is unique and personal.

Happy Spring!

March 2021 Market Update

1 Comment

It’s hard to believe that one year has passed since our world changed with the Pandemic. There have been so many changes in our daily routines, the way we interact with each other, how we conduct business, and so much more. The hardest part for many of us was that we lost loved ones or could not visit them due to restrictions. Let’s hope this all changes soon with the vaccine. 

As far as the real estate world goes, it has remained resilient and has even thrived. To some, it may be hard to believe, but true. Historically low-interest rates, crazy low inventory levels, and high demand resulted in a frenzied market over the last year. Housing gained over $3.1 Trillion in equity in 2020 as prices escalated in almost every market around the country. We are only a little over two months into 2021, and we continue to see a strong housing market. Inventory remains extremely low, rates have ticked up slightly but are still very attractive, and buyer demand remains very robust. The biggest concern remains the low inventory. We continue to see multiple offer situations in all price ranges throughout Northern Virginia. Many times, contracts are being submitted without the buyers even seeing the home! Crazy but true. Buyers are conducting pre-offer home inspections, waiving all contingencies, and are bidding 10-13% over the list price to get into a home. I believe we will be in this type of market for the next few years. Unfortunately for buyers, I don’t see a flood of houses coming on the market to cover the demand that is out there today.  Interest rates will remain low to help keep the market moving. We continue to have low unemployment relative to other parts of the country, so people are continuing to relocate to our area. Couple all of this with the Millennials entering the market as home buyers; it’s quite the tsunami.

If you are considering selling or buying a home, it is more critical today than ever to have a professional representing you. Expert negotiation skills and market knowledge are essential in this aggressive market. Please feel free to call me to review your situation in more detail or allow us to help someone you know. I am always happy to help.

I am looking forward to warmer weather and more hours of daylight, and I hope you are too.  Happy Spring!

Peak Performer Series – Weekly Motivation

Leave a comment

In this weekly motivational series, I’ll highlight how YOU can become a Peak Performer. In 2021, I have a NEW challenge for YOU! 

Are you looking to make a TRUE impact in people’s lives this year? Learn more about my latest challenge for YOU in my latest Peak Performer message and let me know if you are going to accept this challenge ⭐

​Need more motivation? Give me a call at 703-652-5777 or email at scottmacdonald@remax.net 

FOLLOW MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE for more motivation, success tips, and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSecretsforRealEstate/ 

January 2021 Market Update

Leave a comment

Happy New Year!  Welcome to 2021!  I predict this will be yet another exciting year with lots of new challenges, adversity, change, and so much more. The good thing to note is out of these situations come positive outcomes for many if you keep the right mental attitude, stay adaptable, and take care of yourself and those around you. We do not know what lies ahead but keeping strong is as vital as ever.

I have been asked, “what is going to happen with real estate in 2021”?  It depends on whether you are a buyer, seller, renter, landlord, or investor. Inventory levels in Northern Virginia continue to decline. We ended the year with only 1,737 houses for sale in Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier Counties and all the cities located within this area. As you can imagine, this number is extremely low, historically speaking. This makes purchasing a home extraordinarily difficult for buyers. I am currently working with a buyer where we have bid $30,000 over list, $40,000 over list, and $50,000 over list and on three separate houses, and we have lost out on each of them. They are in the $400,000 – $500,000 price point. The listing agents said they were overwhelmed with offers and calls – one had 17 offers in hand in less than 24 hours. So, you can see the buying environment is uber-competitive. On the flip side, this makes it a great time to sell a home if you are looking to move. Depending on the price point, location and condition, sellers can expect multiple showings as well as multiple contracts with purchasers paying more than the sales price and waiving many, if not all, the contingencies associated with a sale. Renting houses is also a challenge as there is a .4-month supply of homes available, and of those, 40% are single-family or townhouses. Again, this makes being a landlord easier to get results as there is a brisk rental market in Northern Virginia. Most investors like houses that cash flow, and with prices being bid up, many investors are choosing to wait on the sidelines to see if more inventory comes on the market prior to getting into bidding wars. Time will tell if we get more inventory or not, but I believe we will experience low inventory throughout 2021. Call me to discuss your situation in more detail so we can help you make the right decisions.

So, the market that is struggling the most right now in our area is condos. In Arlington County, 84% of the resale inventory is condominiums. The average days on the market for a condo in Arlington is 76 days and the average overall days on the market for all properties in NOVA is 16. Quite a difference, right? The rental market is remarkably similar in all of NOVA – condos are on the market for 126 days, and single-family and townhouses are on the market for 42 days. Be careful when considering an investment in condos right now.

As always, I am happy to speak with you about your situation as each one is different.  Happy New Year, and as always, be safe, make wise decisions when you go in public, so you

Peak Performer Series – Weekly Motivation

Leave a comment

In this weekly motivational series, I’ll highlight how YOU can become a Peak Performer. Are you in the right seat, on the right bus going in the right direction?

Now is a great time to determine if you are in the right place, doing the right things for a successful year. Check out my latest Peak Performer message for my thoughts on this important topic, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. 

​Need more motivation? Give me a call at 703-652-5777 or email at scottmacdonald@remax.net 

FOLLOW MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE for more motivation, success tips, and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSecretsforRealEstate/ 

A Quick Minute of Motivation

Leave a comment

In this motivational series, I’ll highlight how YOU can become a Peak Performer. As we close out 2020, its a great time for you to focus on the “R’s”: Refocus, Recharge, Rejuvenate and most importantly Reflect on your accomplishments of 2020. Check out my latest Peak Performer message for my thoughts on this important topic and ideas to focus on for 2021.

​Need more motivation? Give me a call at 703-652-5777 or email at scottmacdonald@remax.net 

FOLLOW MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE for more motivation, success tips, and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSecretsforRealEstate/ 

August 2020 Market Update

Leave a comment

As we enter the dog days of summer and the Month of Miracles…

And prepare for a new version of back-to-school, I hope you and your family are safe, remaining healthy, and are making wise decisions when going out in public.

This month’s update may seem like a broken record, but it is what it is these days. Inventory levels of resales homes in Northern Virginia remain extremely low – 41% below last year’s levels.  Currently, there are only 2,714 houses for sale throughout our area, which includes Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier Counties, as well as all the cities in between. Even with low inventory levels, sales remain strong as they are up 18% week-over-week from last year and up 17% over the previous 30 days from last year. This result is a .7 month’s supply of houses – last year it was a 1.5-month supply. We are still receiving multiple offers on our listings, and the median days on market are a mere seven days making it an exceptionally strong seller’s market. I believe we are going to be in this market for some time as the discussions I am having with homeowners and agents is that they are not likely to sell or they don’t have a lot of houses coming on the market. This has resulted in the increased prices we are seeing. Year to date, prices are up 6.25% over the same time frame from last year. As I’ve said before, it is an excellent time to be a seller. If you are considering selling, call me to discuss your situation in
more detail.

Buyers do have challenges in today’s low inventory, multiple contract situation market we are in, but we are getting our clients into homes! Our team has exclusive strategy sessions where we share ideas on how we are negotiating to get our clients the home of their dreams. These sessions and strategies have been working, which is great for our clients. In addition to this, interest rates are now below 3%! The expectation is they are going to stay in this range for some time, so there is good news for those looking to become owners or potentially moving up to their “forever” homes. If you are considering looking into the option of purchasing a home, call me to set up a private consultation. I am here to help!

Please remember, even if now is not the right time for you to buy or sell, it may be the perfect time for you to refinance! I can put you in touch with one of our lender partners, so feel free to reach out.

Stay cool in this heatwave we are experiencing. Good luck to all of the students out there! Curious what the Month of Miracles is? Give me a call, I’d love to tell you all about it!

A Quick Minute of Motivation

2 Comments

In this motivational series, I’ll highlight how to become a Peak Performer. In these dynamic times, situations are changing daily. Are you staying ahead of the changes? Are you educating yourself and staying on top of new information out there? Learn why I feel this is important in my latest Peak Performer Series message.

Need more motivation? Give me a call at 703-652-5777 or email at scottmacdonald@remax.net

FOLLOW MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE for more motivation, success tips and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSecretsforRealEstate/ 

A Quick Minute of Motivation

Leave a comment

In this motivational series, I’ll highlight how to become a Peak Performer. In these dynamic times, situations are changing daily. Are you staying ahead of the changes? Are you educating yourself and staying on top of new information out there? Learn why I feel this is important in my latest Peak Performer Series message.

Need more motivation? Give me a call at 703-652-5777 or email at scottmacdonald@remax.net

FOLLOW MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE for more motivation, success tips and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSecretsforRealEstate/