Real Estate Information

   They say that the most important thing you buy in real estate is FREE. You first buy the neighborhood. How do you decide what is important? What questions you should ask prior to writing an offer? Whether you are an introvert or extrovert you need to speak with your potential neighbors before proceeding forward. 

    Now no neighbor (if they own there) will tell you it is the wrong place to buy but surprisingly they will tell you everything they do NOT like about the area, neighbors and commuting times. Start with these questions out of our Top 10 Questions to ask which we give to every buyer:

Question 1: How long have you lived in the Neighborhood?

Question 2: What do you like the best about living here?

Question 3: What do you like the least about living here?

Question 4: If you could change one thing about the street, what would it be?

Some of my favorite questions are 5-10... see the rest at Neighborhood Questions -excerpt from the Nellis Group Buyer Book (free book for NG clients)

   So you have been on the market and it still has not sold... You may have even been listed as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) and not seen results. Perhaps you listed with ABC Realty after they promised you the highest price and fell prey to that Realtor Buying your Listing. Reality is your home is still for sale with no end in sight. The only thing you see increasing is your DOM (Days on Market). 

Here are the 4 Reasons a home does not sell in today's market:

1. Price: The home needs to be priced "within reason" to warrant any showings at all. If your home is $100,000 overpriced it does not matter if you are the front page of every website, article and on Times Square- it will not sell. Within reason as defined by The Nellis Group is 1-2% of market price. 

2. Condition: Condition and Price are typically tied in together. For instance, if the home is immaculate and everything is remodeled it will sell for more than the neighbor's house. However, if it is all original and never been touched sporting fabulous shag carpeting and olive appliances it needs to be priced below the market. The most important thing as a seller to NOT do is to "chase dollars". This is when a seller makes upgrades that will not net a higher value. Make sure you consult with one of our Realtors and our Interior Designer prior to making big changes on condition of the home. 

3. Marketing: Over 87% of buyers today begin their search online. Today's buyer also chooses which homes they will see in person based on the online presence. You need to select a company that markets homes the right way online. Look for how your Agent markets to lifestyle purchasing and custom URLs. Make sure you see a marketing plan and strategic approach to creating the greatest and widest appeal for your home. Ask if they are utilizing Social Fusion in their marketing online for your home. 

4. Negotiation: Thousands and Thousands of dollars are lost in the first 5 minutes of calls between Realtors. Make certain the Realtor you select knows how to negotiate for you and be the defender of your equity. In addition, ask if they are aware of leveraging a "lender credit" to keep more money in your pocket as a seller. We negotiated a lender credit on 2 recent home sales and saved our clients over $10,000 each on their home sale. 

      Contact The Nellis Group today to sell your home. Find out the home's value here. 

  Taxes, Cuts, Expenses... There is a Myth that if the "Richest People, Richest Companies" are taxed then there will be enough to pay off the severe debt that the US is currently buried under. In the housing market we would say that the United States is "under water" (owe more than what the country is worth). Rather than produce our own video on trying to BUST this MYTH we found this video from Tony Robbins and wanted to share it. We are currently trillions in debt and there is no clear answer right now to get out of the debt.  Here is one revealing stat in the video about the US Debt. It took the US 200 Years- to reach a debt of 2.2 Trillion (Washington-Reagan Presidencies). Between August 2009 - August 2011 (in 2 years) the US accumulated an additional debt of 2.95 Trillion.

Most of the Research done by Iowahawk

Washington Nationals... How many times can you MISS the mark for the home town fans?!!! 

Opening Day for the Washington Nationals at home against the Reds- do they start their Pitching Phenom: Stephen Strasburg? NO

They finally call up Bryce Harper the most talked about fielder in the game and instead of having his first game be a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks they start him out in LA against the Dodgers. Not only that but they have Strasburg taking the mound with Harper's debut. In a Nationals Stadium where they are struggling to fill every seat- especially upper deck why would you pull this event off out of town to help LA pack their own house and not Nats Stadium?? 

As a fan I do not understand the marketing angle by which you would have such a BIG game played away from your hometown fans. Certainly the staff and organization is missing the #Natitude that is asked for from the fans at the stadium and online. I do look forward to seeing Harper and Strasburg take the field in Washington DC later this season but truly confused by the strategy and marketing of the ballclub right now... Here is the full story for tonight's game from Fox Sports News.

Photo Courtesy of Nationals.com

RGIII (Robert Griffin III) was selected #1 overall by the Washington Redskins earlier this week. He is being championed by fans, reports and national news as one of the best selections for the Redskins in many years. The last quarterback the Redskins selected first with their draft choice was Heath Shuler from University of Tennessee. RGIII hails from Baylor University where he led the Bears to a 10-3 season and was 8-0 at home. I know many Redskins fans are hoping for that same type of winning streak at FedEx field this year. RGIII's biggest solo accomplishment this past year was winning the Heisman Trophy a coveted award that passed up Andrew Lock (#1 pick overall in the entire draft, one a head of RGIII) for the second year in a row. 

It has been argued which one is better Luck vs. RGIII. Today Skins fans are simply happy to be mentioned as having a possible premier quarterback. There are a LOT of hopes resting on this young man from Baylor. I have not seen the media as excited since Joe Gibbs came back to coach in Washington DC for the second time. See the full hype and prices for Jerseys in this article with Fox News at the Washington Redskins merchandise store. 

My prediction as an avid Redskins fans with season tickets that has not seen true victory since the likes of Mark Rypien, Doug Williams and Joe Theissman?? I believe we will get to the 2nd round of playoffs. The acquisitions that are a MUST before the season- getting a BIG offensive line!! That was the secret the last time we had a winner in Washington- give the Quarterback time to make decisions. 

We are all pulling for your RGIII and the Washington Redskins.

Today, finding a home isn't just about making phone calls, driving around looking for signs, or even searching from your home computer.  The home buying process has gone mobile.  With more and more people getting smart phones, Real Estate apps make the home buying process simpler, and right in the palm of your hand.

In the past if you didn't research a prospective home and community before you left the house you were going to have to hope that no new questions came up while you were visiting the house.  Today, you can be inside that house and when a question pops into your head, you can find the answer in only a few seconds as well as get additional information that you may not have even thought of.

Check out this article by Steven Overly of the Washington Post that talks about a few of these apps and the trend of using smart phones in the home buying process.

The Caps have consistently been a great regular season team and then struggled in the playoffs.  This season however, the regular season has been a rocky one and they are at least fighting in the playoff series against the Bruins.  The Caps failed to finish off the Bruins at home in game 6 and that puts us in a deciding game 7.  In a series where games are decided by one goal and two goal leads are basically nonexistent every second of every game has been gut-wrenching.  

Check out these guys going all out for the Caps at Game 3.

Tonight's game 7 should be no different, and with the pressure of elimination the intensity should be extremely high.  Hopefully for DC Sports fans who don't typically have playoff success (if they even make the playoffs), the Caps will be able to advance to the next round.  LET'S GO CAPS!!!

     This May 6th, 2012 The Nellis Group will be sponsoring the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Spring Banquet. This year the featured speaker is Mike London, the Head Coach of the University of Virginia Football program. 

     Dan Britton the former director of FCA in Northern Virginia will be the emcee of the event. Dan is a former professional lacrosse player that used to play for the Baltimore Thunder.

     It has been our pleasure to sponsor FCA since 1992. It has been one of our longest standing affiliations with a charity in the local community. I was personally involved with FCA when attending Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA. Now as CEO of The Nellis Group it is my honor to partner with a ministry that is impacting so many people and helping to shape the next generation. 

      The event this Sunday will be held at the Fairview Park Marriott in Falls Church, VA. We hope you can attend the event and join us as we partner with FCA for 2012 and beyond. If you are a Nellis Group client click here to find out more about the VIP access to the event. 

Address for Event:

Fairview Park Marriott

3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA

(703) 849-9400

Meet Bernie & Donna Colasuonno.  The Colasuonno family moved into the Clifton community of Little Rocky Run 19 years ago when their children were just 2 and 6 years old.  Their home was perfect for their family size but now that the children are all grown up it is time for the Colasuonno's to downsize. That is great news for those looking for a large home in a great community. Take a look at this video to see what the Colasuonno's have to say about the home where they shared so many memories.

"Our street is one of the friendliest. Over the years we've had block parties with live music and moon bounces, winter Olympics after heavy snow falls and many other parties. An impromptu invitation to 'wine on the stoop' with the neighbors can come at any time. When schools and offices were closed due to heavy snow, many times we held pot luck dinners with everyone bringing what they had."

The home has 4 levels and 6 bedrooms, a huge master suite with two large walk-in closets, and a finished basement with a recreation room, storage, and a family room.  Little Rocky Run has three pools, several playgrounds, and all the schools are close by.  For more information on the special features of the home and community check out the 6701 Rock Falls Court listing page for photos, special features, and more.

The Nellis Group is excited to tell you about our latest success story.  The owners of the Fowler's Mill home in Virginia Oaks of Gainesville have sold their home!  The neighborhood is a golf course community and is home to the Virginia Oaks golf course designed by P.B. Dye.  Gainesville is a great area to live if you want to live a little outside the heavily concentrated Fairfax County of Northern Virginia area but still be able to commute into the Washington DC.  Although this property is SOLD, you can still find your new home in or around Gainesville. Get started below...