There's not a great deal of good news for homeowners of short sales but there is some at least for a good number of them.  Losing their home in a short sales leaves many wondering what their home buying chances are in the future.  This will give them some idea.

This may not be true for all but for those that will qualify it provides a glimmer of hope.  Be sure to check with a knowledgeable, professional lender.

Why would you suggest I have radon test done one when buying a house? A radon test is the best way to find out if there is radon present in a structure.  Radon is a gas that is found in homes across the United States and Virginia is no exception.  There are places where it is more prevalent than others.

It can be found in homes that have basements, crawl spaces, and concrete slabs.

It has been found in some homes at Lake Anna.  When representing buyers I always suggest not only that a home inspection be done but also a radon test.  If the results are above the EPA maximum acceptable level of 4 picocuries per liter, or pCi/L, a request should be made to the seller to have the problem mitigated.

Even if the presence of low levels of radon just above the EPA recommendation is found in a home and is not important to a buyer I always suggest that they request mitigation be done.  

The buyer may believe that the risk is insignificant, however, there is always the possibility that at some point the buyer will become the seller.  Why face the possibility of having to be the one to pay for the mitigation in the event a new buyer will request that it be done.

There are many sites that can explain the possible effects of radon gas and the methods to eliminate the high levels.  

The EPA provides a wealth of information and may answer all of the questions surrounding this issue.  To reach the EPA by phone call 1-800-SOSRADON (767-7236) Fax: (785) 532-6952 or E-mail: Radon@ksu.edu www.sosradon.org.

Even if you are not thinking of buying another home you may consider a radon test for where you live now.  

January is National Radon Action Month (NRAM).  If you would like to know more about radon gas this might be the perfect time to do it.

Are Your Plans for a Home at Lake Anna on Hold for the Holidays?  With all the shopping and preparations involved in getting ready for Christmas and New Years there's little time to think of other things.  Even things that are as exciting as a new home at Lake Anna.

Once the holidays are behind us though, the timing will be right for the search to move forward.  Some buyers think that they'll wait until May or June to begin looking.  However, the earlier you start the better off you will be.  Many begin their search in the January-February time frame as that provides plenty of time to familiarize themselves with Lake Anna.

Lake Anna...a great place anytime of the year

Lake Anna covers a large area with the lake measuring about 17 miles long with approximately 270 miles of shoreline.  We have about 120 individual subdivisions so there's lots of territory to cover.  Who best to show you around?  A REALTOR that knows Lake Anna well.  There are so many things to learn about the lake and by getting a good start buyers have the time to explore it well.  Finding what you want might take time so allow for that.

New listings will be coming on the market early in 2011 as sellers here know that many buyers are beginning to get serious about their search.  Even if buyers are not here in person they are certainly on the web checking out possibilities.

Getting a head start means that there is plenty of time to get a good feel for pricing, locations around the lake, and a good idea of the type of homes available.  Once the spot that speaks to you is found it will still be between 30 to 45 days before settlement to take place.  That could mean it will be April or May, possibly later, before you are given the keys to your Lake Anna home.

Most buyers are thinking of what it will be like to spend summers here.  From one who has spent 18 years, full-time year round at Lake Anna I can tell you which seasons are great...Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Before you know it the time to search will be here.  I'd love to share in the adventure!  Just  call or  email. 

What Does a LOCAL SPECIALIST Provide the BUYER? Sometimes MORE than You Think.  When I was an agent in Northern Virginia I would have been at a loss to work with a buyer looking for property here at Lake Anna.  At the time I may not have known that but I sure do now.  Why now?  Because Lake Anna is where I happily hang my license.

This post was inspired by a featured one written by Laurie Mindnich concerning the value of an EXPERT. There are times I think it can make a very big difference.  Laurie provided a definition for expert.  She wrote:  An expert: "A person with a high degree of skill in, or knowledge of, a certain subject."

There are some areas that are different than others.  When I worked in Northern Virginia I covered a very large geographical area from inside the Beltway where my office was out to Burke, Centreville, Herndon, etc.  Why?  Often because buyers would prefer to live inside the Beltway and began their search there. 

Many realized that they would not find the size home they wanted for the price they were willing to pay and in order to get that home they had to look further out.  Sometimes we kept going further and further.  This is why I understand agents that believe they can do a great job for their client no matter how far away they search.  Believe me that is not always the case.

Helping buyers find the right property at Lake Anna involves more than I can find on the Internet.  MRIS gives me plenty of specific information about the properties.  I can look up tax records on county sites (also made available through MRIS), I can certainly Google Lake Anna and see what I can learn about it from blogs and recent newspaper stories, and I can go there and drive around.  What then is missing?

These are some of the things that an agent unfamiliar with Lake Anna and out of the area will not necessarily know and understand:

• That there are two parts of the lake and what are all the differences between the two.
  
  
  
• Of the more than 120 communities which ones are on which side of the lake.
  
  
  
• Which areas of the lake have deeper water?
  
  
  
• Which areas are known to be more shallow?
  
  
  
• Of those 120 communities which ones have stricter covenants and which ones have virtually no rules and regulations.
  
  
  
• Where are some of the favorite fishing spots?
  
  
  
• When are the fishing tournaments held and when?
  
  
  
• As Lake Anna is in a pretty rural area what kind of things are there to do around there.  (This question comes up with almost every purchaser I work with.  That and shopping.)
  
  
  
• What types of activities take place at Lake Anna?
  
  
  
• Are there many clubs and organizations that I can join?
  
  
  
• How far is the closest medical facility?

• Are there many other full-time residents living here?
  
  
  
• Are there many younger families with school age children?
  
  
  
• Lake Anna does not have public sewer and water.  What takes their place?
  
  
  
• Which builders have stellar reputations and deserve them.  Which ones to shy away from.  (We have a number of purchasers looking for land and plan to build.)
  
  
  
• Which communities have assigned boat slips?  None?  First come first served?  Covered?
  
  
  
• Which communities are gated?
  
  
  
• What are the amenities within each community?
  
  

There are many other things that I have learned through the years working and living at Lake Anna.

Hopefully these do not seem like small things to you.  They are important to buyers even if they don't know about them.  We, local agents, talk to them about these things and they are often items that make a difference to them.

Sure, if some agent wants to take a lot of time researching these things they'll have the answers sooner or later but it will take quite some time.  What is the purpose of doing that?  It took me quite awhile to learn all of these things and many more while working hand and hand with other Lake Anna agents in my office. 

I'm comfortable saying I have a "high degree of knowledge of a certain subject, namely Lake Anna real estate". Whether that makes me an expert or a specialist is almost irrelevant. What it does make me is a great asset to a buyer looking for property at Lake Anna. That was my goal and still is.

Sometimes we just don't know how much we don't know.  When that's the case we may be doing a disservice to our client.  That's the time to not only think about referring but to actual do a referral. 

When you don't, whose best interest are you protecting?  Could it be yours and not your clients?

It's great when buyers are experienced enough to recognize value on their own.  When they are not this is a great reminder of what we, as buyer agents, can bring to their attention.  We're in a position to be less emotional about the process and can point out how they can make a decision that will be a wise one.

Was it really a case of "It was not meant to be." or an inability to make a decision soon enough, when a buyer loses out on a home.

Often when a house has slipped out of the grasp of buyers they will exclaim, "It was not meant to be."  Do you buy that?  Is that the way you look at it? 

To be honest, I do not. 

By saying it was not meant to be it is tantamount to admitting that the purchasing process was completely out of their control. 

If a buyer is in the market for a house,

• is shown one that they can afford,
  
• is convinced that it is well priced or at least there is a good possibility that by making an offer they may be able to negotiate it to where it would be a prudent purchase,
  
• and happens to be as close to what they want as possible
  
  
  • (this is where there has to be a touch of realism as we all know there is always "something" that keeps a property from being 100% perfect,

then if they do not move forward perhaps it has more to do with their reluctance to commit.  For some buyers it is almost necessary for them to "lose" a house before they will find themselves ready to move forward.

It is especially disconcerting for some when the house that is the "perfect" house is one they see early on.  It can happen.

Do you prepare your buyers for this possibility?  I mention to mine that some buyers need several trips to Lake Anna before they find what they want.  Others have found it the first time they have ever been here.  When it happens fast it is amazing how some buyers can feel so confident in their decision.  It is something that is not only obvious to them but is often obvious to me as well.  I can sense their enthusiasm, their sense of belonging, and their willingness to move forward.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Buying or selling at Lake Anna, VA or the surrounding area?  Call Kate Elim at 540-226-1964 or e-mail at lakeanna.kate@gmail.com.  Check out lakeannacountry.com.

Senator Harry Reid, Majority Leader and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, have proposed extending the credit of $8,000 until April when the credit would be reduced to $6,000, then in July to $4,000, and in October reduced to $2,000 for homes that close in each successive quarter, ending December 31, 2010.

At this point there is nothing in this proposal that would extend the credit to anyone other than first time buyers and those that have not owned a home in the past three years. 

However, there are other proposals being considered that would extend the current credit and include those with a higher income (amount to be determined) and perhaps to move up buyers.

With the September drop in new home sales, attributed to the end of the current tax credit for first-time buyers, more attention is being focused on these proposals.

Information compiled from Reuters, Associated Press and other sources.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property at or near Lake Anna, Virginia please contact Kathleen "Kate" Elim, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Hall of Fame. 

Contact Kate at 540-226-1964 or by e-mail at lakeanna.kate@gmail.com. Be sure to check Kate's Web site http://lakeannacountry.com/.

If there is ever a moment you wonder what you are doing in the real estate business read on and you will truly understand your value.