Wesatiyeh’s Weblog

Just when you thought that stone bunny wasn’t worth anything. Well at least someone loves it.
Prepare your home for the best of times and the worst of times. If folks don’t like the outside they certainly are not going to take the time to see the inside.

How should you determine the value and comparables in your area.  Say you live in a particular style home, then you should look at other homes in your neighborhood that area the same style.  example:  ranch = ranch, 2-story Colonial = 2-story Colonial, then a Cape Cod, Cape Cod = Cape cod, then 2-story Colonial.  Try to get at least 3 similar comparables in style and similar in construction and close in square footage.  Teh SF Price is the SP/SF.    Remember don’t include basement space in this calculations.  Only the SF that is above grade and finished.  Basement SF is usually figured at a lesser value then above grade values and that is determined by similar features of other homes in the neighborhood. 

If you are unsure what your square footage is or the value consult a REALTOR or call a local appraiser. 

“The right price sells a home fast than any other factor.  When the listing price is more than 5% over market, price alone discourages buyers.  Overpriced home –especially in a sluggish market–scares away potential buyers, who think they can’t afford to look. Buyers who look know they can get more home for their money elsewhere. ”   monthly real estate newsletter, the Gooder Group.

If you have homes in your area ont he market for long periods of time, then don’t fall into that trap.  thinking that, Hey if I start my list price high,  I have room for negociations.  I can always go down but I can’t go up.  WRONG approach.  If no one looks at your home how are you going to negociate in the first place. 

A savvy seller strategy in today’s market is to give your home a “price haircut” with a price up to 10% below the competition.  with a price like that it will prime the pump and attracts buyers with offers.  And the end result is to get your house SOLD. 

And look what can happen now, you can buy your next home……….

It seems that  Henrico County and the City of Richmond have an issue with accounting.  Due to this there is a vote going out to Henrico County residences to get their address changed to Henrico, VA. Henrico says they are loosing $5 million in annual tax revenue because of the following reasons. 

1. Purchasing a computer on line from an out of state company. The company collects the sales tax and sends it to the State Department of Taxation and labels the sale as having occured in “Richmond, VA.  consequently the wrong locality receives this money. 

2. Sales Tax of large retailers paid by out-of-state business offices

3. Catalog Sales

4. Certain Vehicle Leases

5. Companies Leasing Business Equipment such as copiers.  -  If I owned a business and leases products why would I not know where my business is? 

The zip codes that are in question are 23075,23228,23229,23231,23233,23238,23242,23250,23255,23288 and 23294.  Roughly 80,000 residents.

The reasons the county gives you for the change is a bit weird and unusual.  If I buy a car and I live in Henrico why would I even think of telling DMV to register it in the City of Richmond even if my address is Richmond,VA  sometimes I wonder if folks really know what the heck they are doing.  

Second, If I live in Glen Allen, how does that revenue get to Henrico rather than Richmond.  How does everyone else out of state or in state know that Glen Allen is in the county of Henrico.  Why would Glen Allen not change to Henrico, VA as well.  That way everyone knows where they live. 

What about the folks that live in Chesterfield that have a Richmond, VA adress.  Are they going thru the same bs that Henrico residents are going thru? 

And yes if you tell me a zip code I can tell you what county it is in and what the mailing address is.  And so can the USPS along with every online business and manufacture.  Zip codes are coded and are specific to counties and towns across America.  That is why it is so important to have the zip code on your letters. 

As a REALTOR, I get the question asked to me all the time.  What are the county taxes for this home?  They are differnet for each county.  Heck, buying a coke at 7-11 in the city is more than buying that same coke in Henrico County.     

Last but not least, if the City of Richmond and Henrico County cannot come up with a way to resolve this issue without a name change then how do you think they will do when it comes to Regionialization and the many cooperative efforts that have but a strangle hold on the growth of this Capital Region. 

http://www.co.henrico.va.us/  To read more about this possible name change.

Home Sellers Guide

There are a number of steps to selling any house. Experience has taught us that every home sale is unique. Yet every sale — from putting the house on the market to settlement day — shares a common process.

The Home Sellers Guide is designed to help you understand the selling process beforehand. This inside know-how will help you make smart decisions every step of the way — and set aside any worries you may have from the beginning.

Of course, this short guide cannot answer all your questions. For specific answers to your specific situation, I encourage you to contact Wes Atiyeh for additional questions. 

I will be happy to share my expertise. After all, I want you to get the best selling price in the shortest time. Every advantage is yours when you do business with Wes Atiyeh, REALTOR. 

for more informaiton click on this link for details.  http://isellrichmondhomes.com/SellersGuide.aspx#top

the market is ever changing.  Pricing is key in today’s market.  Getting your house ready is also a key.  I have been working with a couple for some time now and the first thing I told them was to get your finances and your home inshape.  A lender does one and the REALTOR can help with the other.  Having your ducks in a row is key to buying in a market that has slowed and it takes longer to sell a home then before. 

So don’t wait till tomorrow what you can do today. 

Just when you thought the market, economy, gas prices and the stock market were in the tank, this nice little article came up regarding the top 10 Best Places for Business and Careers.  And Richmond, Va was one of those cities.  Richmond is rich in history but is slowly moving towards the 21st century as we continue to grow.  The real estate market is doing better than the National market and our unemployment is below the averages.  Whether you live in the City or the surrounding counties you can always frind something to do in and around the Metro area plus we are only 2 hours from DC, the beach, the mountains, and 6 hours to NYC. 

Special Report

Best Places For Business And Careers

Kurt Badenhausen 03.19.08, 6:00 PM ET

Companies in the U.S. are facing myriad challenges, from the credit crunch to soaring commodity prices to corporate tax rates that are behind only Japan’s among developed countries. What is a chief executive to do? Head south.

In our 10th annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers, the Southeast is home to half of the top 10 for a third straight year. But there is new blood near the top, including Lexington, Ky., Atlanta, Ga., and Richmond, Va. (Spokane, Wash., and Fort Collins, Colo., also made big jumps).

Common themes for the business-welcoming metros include solid job growth, an educated labor supply and low business costs. Interestingly, six of the 10 metro areas are anchored by capital cities; maybe lobbyist spending boosts an economy.

Topping the list for a second straight year is Raleigh, N.C. Business costs are 14% below the national average, and the area boasts one of the most educated labor supplies in the country, with 38% of the adult population possessing a college degree and 12% holding a graduate degree. Raleigh’s secret is out, though, as people have been flocking to the area.

Net migration has averaged 25,000 annually in recent years, or 2.4% of the population, seventh highest in the country. The influx of talented young people is good news for big employers in the area like Cisco Systems (nasdaq: CSCO - news - people ), GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK - news - people ) and SAS Institute.

One metro that made a big jump was Atlanta, which improved to sixth from 25th last year. Its ranking benefited from strong job and income growth and a big reduction in crime. “Hotlanta” features a diverse economy and pro-business environment. Another built-in advantage for big employers like AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ), Home Depot (nyse: HD - news - people ) and IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) is Hartsfield-Jackson, the busiest passenger airport in the world.

Another newcomer to the top 10 is Fort Collins. With a metro area population of 282,000, it is one of the smaller places on our list. Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University, which is the area’s largest employer and a big reason why 40% of residents have a college degree, the sixth highest rate in the country. Fort Collins also benefits from strong income growth and business costs well below other Colorado locales like Boulder and Denver.

Our rankings cover the 200 largest metro areas (populations over 240,000) as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and are based on nine factors. West Chester, Pa.-based economic research company Economy.com, owned by Moody’s, supplied data on five-year historical job and income growth as well as migration trends. We also incorporated Economy.com’s business cost index, which looks at labor, tax, energy and office space costs and its living cost index, which factors in housing, transportation, food and other household expenditures.

The rest of the data for the rankings was furnished by Portland, Ore., demographer Bertrand Sperling, who last year published the second edition of Cities Ranked & Rated along with Peter Sander. He provided stats on crime, educational attainment, presence of four-year colleges and an index on cultural and recreational opportunities.

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