Friday, October 30, 2015

NOVA DMV Fall Must Do Home Maintenance Tips

Simple Fall tasks can save you from more expensive repairs over the next few months and will keep your DC metro home in great shape.

1. Take care of hoses and faucets: Disconnect your hoses before the freezing temperatures arrive, because they can cause water to back up in your faucets and eventually cause the plumbing to crack.  If possibble, shut off the valves for your exterior faucets.
2. Winterize the lawn mower: Either run the mower dry, or use a fuel stabilizer to prevent the gas in your mower from degrading and damaging the engine.
3. Clean the gutters: Twigs and leaves will build up in your gutters throughout the fall. Make sure to clean the gutters before there’s heavy snow, because the weight of both the leaves and the melting snow could cause the gutters to break away from the house. This winter in Washington DC metro areas are expected to have a large snow fall accumulation.
4. Get the furnace ready: Your best bet is to call in a professional to give the furnace a tune up, but at the very least you should change the filters. Find a good company, check your county’s best of best list.
5. Inspect the roof: As snow accumulates and melts from your roof, it can cause major water damage if the roof isn’t in good shape. Look for loose shingles, rust, moss—anything that could lead to decay or water damage. It’s best to be proactive with your roof repairs can be extremely expensive—so don’t hesitate to call a roofing professional if necessary. It’s worth it in the long run!
When you are ready to sell that home in Washington DC, Fairfax, or Prince William County contact GreatDCMetroHomes.net and Find out what your home is worth for Free!
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Call me to buy a home in any Washington DC Metro area including Northern VA & Maryland,  areas including Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Stafford Counties, Anne Arundel, Prine George’s, Charles, and Montgomery Counties.                                     
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Thursday, August 20, 2015

No Downpayment USDA Loan from Rural Housing Service 502 Direct Loan program

USDA and the Rural Housing Service (RHS) has available funds in its Section 502 Direct Loan Program that must be used by September 30, 2015 for buyers that want to live away from the city.  The Washington DC field office reported : "As of August 13, 2015, RHS has enough to fund approximately 2,500 additional home loans."   
This is a loan for buyers in Non city areas- "rural areas" whose adjusted income does not exceed 80 percent of the area median. There is no down payment requirement and the interest rate are really low. Areas like Warren County, Culpeper,  Orange County, Page County, Rappahanock County, Front Royal and Linden, Virginia should  qualify for this program. Some parts of Fauquier County Catlett, Warrenton and Marshall may qualify. Rural parts of Maryland Counties may also qualify such as North Western Montgomery County, Brunswick to Middletown and Parts of Carroll County, MD.
This is a direct loan program that is different then the Guaranteed loan program. You must apply thru an RHS field office and not thru a mortgage lender for the Direct Loan.  Loan funds may be used to purchase existing homes, to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites, including providing water and sewage facilities. 
Contact me if you are interested you have until the end of September 2015 to get started, Contact me and I can help you get started thru a Rural Housing field office lender and check to see if you meet the income criteria.  GreatDCMetroHomes.com

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Largest State Fair in Virginia Prince William Co Fair

It is that time of year to have fun at the Largest County Fair in the State of Virginia.  Come out to Manassas VA, west of Woodbrige, VA at the corner of route 234 and Dumfries Rd.  The Fair runs August 14th- 22nd, 2015and his hosted by  Prince William Veterans Farm Club.
The address is 10624 Dumfries Rd, Manassas VA 20110, in Northern VA and you will see the parking signs. Parking is included in admission price.
So if you are looking for events and Things to do in Northern VA check it out:
To Save money here are the Ticket Specials :            
Plenty of Rides and attractions  await and if you are like me you want to try the food.
I love Fried Oreos!!!!!!!
According to the website:pwcfair.com
“The annual event in Manassas includes livestock exhibits, home arts exhibits, tractor pulls, a rodeo, demolition derbies, baby contests, live music and a variety of midway shows. Games and carnival rides are provided by America’s #1 Carnival Company, Deggeller Attractions Inc.”
There will also be a comedy show on the 20th and I hope you can make it out.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Build a Fabulous treehouse DIY

Summer DIY How to build a tree house
If you have children, no home is complete without a treehouse. Besides the fact that treehouses provide kids with hours of entertainment, they can also confer ancillary benefits that are hard to quantify. For starters, treehouses can improve property values by boosting curb appeal. When building any type of treehouse, keep the following tips in mind.

Location, Location, Location

Before you head off to Home Depot and get all the necessary supplies, you need to spend some serious time storyboarding the build process. Pick a tree with low, sprawling branches such as an oak or a maple. Furthermore, consider issues like wind, shade and privacy before you start to nail up supports.

Choose Your Materials Wisely

A treehouse built with subpar materials will fall short in the longevity department and disappoint the kids. Pick out stout oak 4x4 posts for the structural elements and top them off with pressure-treated pine for the floors and railings. Use quality plywood for the interior walls and seal it to avoid rot.

Make Multi-Use Your Mantra
Treehouses that are simply shacks suspended above ground will quickly bore youngsters no matter how well-built they may be. Incorporate elements such as swings, rope ladders and even zip-lines to get more from your treehouse. As long as you're putting in the effort, you might as well add all of the bells and whistles.

Bake Safety Into the Recipe
You don't want the kids to get hurt when they're frolicking among the branches. Make sure to bolt handles and permanent rails into the truck so that adolescents are less likely to slip and fall. If you want to go all out, add a few safety nets around the edges.

Heed Aesthetics When Designing
An unadorned treehouse quickly turns into an eyesore over time as it's battered by the elements. Shingle the roof and paint the exterior walls so that they match your home. Kids will naturally gravitate towards a treehouse that looks appealing and your neighbors won't complain about a shoddy structure in your weeping willow.

It's More Than a Treehouse
 While many young kids will no doubt love a full-featured treehouse, it's usually the improvement in home value that will appeal to adults.

If you decides to buy a home with a fabulous tree or a tree house already go to GreatDCMetrohomes.org to search. If you're interested in learning more about homes for sale in your area go to GreatDCMetroHomes.org to search VA, DC, and MD areas.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Washington DC Open Doors Down Payment Assistance Program for District of Columbia

Do you like to Make or Save Money? Do you currently live in or plan to move to Washington D.C., District of Columbia?
If the answer is yes and you make under $123,395 you may 
be able to qualify for Home Buying Down Payment assistance.
 This is basically like finding FREE Money !!!!! DC Open Doors
Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAL)  is your answer.
This program and funding is available to both first time home buyers and repeat home buyers.  DCHFA defines, “First time home buyer’ means you have not owned your primary residence for the last 3 years. If you currently own your primary residence, you can still apply for $0 Down. Your current home must be sold and settled prior to closing on your $0 Down home.
According to DCHFA, "They know your biggest obstacle to a home purchase can be the required minimum down payment so DC Open Doors offers down payment assistance loans (DPAL) that bridge the financial gap between the purchase price of your home and your first trust mortgage loan. If you qualify, you can obtain a DPAL for the full amount of your required minimum down payment, substantially reducing your upfront out-of-pocket expense! See the two examples below."
Currently, DC Open Doors offers its DPAL at a 0% interest rate and it is non-amortizing so you are not required to make monthly payments on it. The loan is only repayable if you sell or refinance your home, or if you no longer occupy it as your primary residence.
Home Buyers Marketing II, Inc offers real estate brokerage Services in DC, MD and VA but is not affiliated with the DC Housing Finance Agency.  This program requires a Home Ownership education class contact me to register for a class djoneshomes@gmail.com.
For more info and to search homes contact DeAndrea Dee Dee Jones thru GreatDCMetroHomes.org

Friday, May 15, 2015

DMV, DC, MD, Northern VA Climbing Real Estate Taxes



A climbing market is great news to homeowners but keep in mind, with growing sales prices comes higher taxes.  Eager buyers and motivated sellers have jump started the market this year in the DMV areas DC, MD, and Northern VA.
Homeowners be prepared and take this as a warning your real estate taxes could be should be going up soon.   Data released Monday from MRIS show that greater inventory and modest prices have driven sales from Jan to April.  Areas like DC have a lack of inventory and is experiencing more bidding wars. With all of this comes more sales, more comps, more appreciation, higher prices, and then higher taxes....
The jump you see will depend on your location and how often taxes are assessed in your area but just note you may receive a notice in the mail..  
Do not let it bother or worry you it is usually just a small jump in payment.