A Chatty Little Newsletter to Keep in Touch

December 17, 2021 | Issue 7, Volume 1

I guess she just wasn't that hungry.

I gotta tell ya, I really pressed Mrs. McAnaw to invest in her house before selling it. I had solid plans for maximizing her equity and sending her back to her childhood home in the Upper Peninsula with some extra cash in her pocket. I was excited. Mrs. McAnaw, though, had different plans.

What mattered most to Mrs. McAnaw was making sure she left her home in good condition by addressing a water problem she and her late husband, John, had occasionally encountered (which we did) and she wanted things to be relatively easy overall. She wasn't convinced I could sell her cute King on the lake for the $625,000 I suggested (I think I could have) and she didn't see the value in investing in remodeling things for a buyer who may or may not like those renovations.

One of our suggestions or services that did appeal to Mrs. McAnaw was having us empty her house after she moved out. She would pack up only the items she wanted to take with her and then we would clean out the rest, donating what we could.

Mrs. McAnaw went on to sell her house to buyers who had heard she was moving and had approached her about buying before it went to market. Again, not what I would have chosen for her but it certainly met the goal of being easy. And it made her happy, so great.

I visited with Mrs. McAnaw the day before she moved. Those items she wished to take with her had been packed and moved and we sat in the remaining unwanted living room chairs for our last chat. We had had so many wonderful conversations during our time together about how she had met her husband, her life as a nurse, our kids, and our shared histories of being cancer-caregivers. I gave her a book I had enjoyed, a hug, thanked her, and said goodbye. The next morning, she hopped into a car and waved goodbye to tearful neighbors. Our project manager, Nicki, called me a little later as she had just stopped in to assess what items remained in the house to clear. (Remember our deal--take only what you want, Mrs. McAnaw, and we will take care of the rest.)

Mrs. McAnaw had eaten half a banana for breakfast and had left the other half on the counter. How absolutely amazing is that!?! We laughed so hard and were 100% delighted. She took what she needed from the house and her home, on her terms, and she left the rest. Oh to live, love, and especially to leave the way Mrs. McAnaw did!

And that is one of our favorite real estate stories. Big thanks to Mrs. McAnaw for sharing both her story and her adorable picture of her snowy yard in the UP for this newsletter. I love that heart!

If you live near Royal Lake in Fairfax, you likely are familiar with Mr. McAnaw. His influence on Kings Park West and especially within the parks is legendary. He set out and successfully convinced a community and ultimately the park authority to call the creek behind his house "Shanes Creek", Shane being the name of his beloved dog. Read the delightfully true story about John and Shane here.

some like it hot

Bees Knees

My first taste of a Bees Knees was at B Side Restaurant in the Mosaic District. Theirs was a spicy version with just a touch of Tabasco and it was delish! The basic, prohibition-era, 3-ingredient recipe is simple, easy to make, and lends itself to experimentation with different types of honey or with additions--try Tabasco!

2 ounces Gin
1 ounce honey syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into coupe glass. To make the honey syrup, mix 1 tablespoon honey with 2 tablespoons of hot water and mix.

B Side Mosaic

That's a lot of offers!

Wow! We are excited for our sellers at 6313 Bridgeton Court as they just went under contract having received fourteen offers over the course of five days on the market. The house sold for 112% of the original list price and the contract has zero contingencies. See the video of this darling house here.

Letters to Santa

We were so surprised and excited to find our mailbox has been designated a "North Pole Delivery Drop Point" for letters to Santa. Candy, books, and smalls toys are available from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM through December 24th. No letter? No problem! Stop by for a treat anyway!

North Pole Delivery Drop Point

10019 Latimer Court

Fairfax, VA 22032

8:00 AM to 9:00 PM

We're opinionated, but you're the boss.

Q: Hi Cathy! With respect to our current house, our goal is quite simply to maximize our ROI (return on investment). We believe that some work will need to be done to prepare it to get it on the market but want to do so in such a way to maximize the ROI without a big sacrifice to days on market. One of the many areas in which we will want your advice.

A: Dear Elaine, Great question! Here are the steps we work through with our clients to maximize equity and return on investment:

Step 1: Determine your baseline fix up requirements. These are items that you wouldn't even consider listing your house without addressing first (often sellers have a good idea about how much of this needs to be done):

Paint is your #1 friend in selling a house, both color and freshness matter.
Flooring--clean and in good shape is fine. We do often need to change carpet and we sometimes add hardwoods.
Things that are in disrepair will need to be fixed for the most part.

Step 2: Consider upgrading some areas depending on your financial and personal moving and equity goals (this sometimes requires more guidance from us):

We often do MODEST updates to baths and kitchen.
We sometimes do complete renovations, if warranted.
Typically the ROI is $2 for every $1 spent after the baseline work is done.
Houses which appeal to the 30-something crowd and are move-in ready sell the fastest with fewest days on market.

Step 3: We will work together to come up with a scope of work that makes the most sense to you and then get estimates for that work from our contractors, if you like. The scope of work is more important than who does it but we do have trusted contractors with whom we work often.

It's always up to you how much or how little home prep to do but I will definitely tell you what I think! ~Cathy

Have a Question?

Email me your questions:

cathy.deloach@longandfoster.com

Call me Grandmeowa

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods. They have not forgotten this." ~Terry Pratchett

Oh look! It's my grandkitties!

Bronwyn writes:

"Luke is the buff one, who is both the fattest and loudest cat in the land but acts exactly like a dog and wants every single person to say hello to him, all the time. Julian is the gray one and he is the sweetest most cuddly cat to ever be tormented by his very fat brother."

Kings Park West Detached Homes

December 17, 2021

Currently, there is just one active detached listing in Kings Park West. As there are no other active listings in KPW, we think this Duke, listed at $650,000 at 10024 W Constable is likely to do especially well. Looks like there is an open house on Sunday, 2:00PM-4:00PM!

There are NO detached KPW listings under contract in Kings Park West at the moment.

Since our last update, just one listing has gone to closing. The absolutely adorable Duke at 5016 Gainsborough Drive closed for $731,000 having spent eight days on the market.

Robinson 22032 Detached Market

December 17, 2021

Two detached homes are listed as active in the Robinson School District sections of 22032 and a third is in coming soon status. Prices for the these listings range from $650,000 to $1,050,000. The two active listings have been on the market for two and twenty-nine days. (See chart below and click image to enlarge.)

Three detached Robinson/22032 listings are currently marked as under contract in the MLS. Those houses had list prices ranging from $599,990 to $665,000 at time of contract. Days on market were relatively short and range from four to twenty-four. (See chart below and click to enlarge.)

Five detached houses have closed in the past two weeks in the Robinson/22032 area. Of those, 100% sold for over list price after having spent an average of six days on market. (See chart below and click to enlarge.)

22032 Townhome Market

December 17, 2021

There are currently three townhomes listed as available in the 22032 and two marked as coming soon. Prices range from a low of $525,000 to a high of $565,000. (See chart below and click image to enlarge.)

There are currently eight townhomes in 22032 under contract, having spent between five and ninety-nine days on the market before finding their buyers. List prices range from a low of $474,900 to a high of $540,000 with two sellers lowering their prices before going under contract. (See chart below and click to enlarge.)

Just three 22032 townhomes have sold in the past two weeks with prices ranging from a low of $400,000 to a high of $475,000. Those townhomes spent between 1 and 36 days on market. (See chart below and click image to enlarge.)

UPS Dogs!

We have a Facebook page follow recommendation for dog lovers! The UPS Dogs Facebook page is adorable and filled with good news! This is the best use of Facebook, don't you think?!?