Alison S. Whittaker, Realtor

Well folks it has been a busy past year since I first began my blog.  I am excited to get back down to blog business.  The real estate market has seen many changes good and bad over the last year.  So much has happened.  So lets get down to business. 

First the important stuff; my husband and I were proud to welcome our first baby into the world 5 months ago tomorrow.  Kaleigh Elizabeth was born March 26, 2009.  She is the light of our life and we are so blessed.  So needless to say blogging took a back seat to my new found parenthood.  I could go on and on about her… more to come later.

Okay now onto real estate business…  There are many new rules and laws regarding lending after the collapse of so many lenders and banks.  Some are a step in the right direction and others have created more stringent rules.  But the good news is there are still plenty of good lenders out there and plenty of money available for mortgage loans.  Plus if you are a first time home buyer you still have time to take advantage of an $8000 tax credit.  But you must hurry because it ends soon.  To take advantage your closing must happen by the last day of November 2009.

Another great aspect of this crazy market for buyers are the influx of homes available.  There is such a wide selection right now in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and the NRV.  With all the benefits of buying now is a great time to be getting into the real estate market.  One common misconception is that all sellers are desperate to sell.  This is not the case here in the NRV, for the most part homes are priced right in this market.  That’s not to say there are not deals to be made, sure those are out there but for the most part homes are still selling between 92-98% of asking price. 

And the good news for sellers is the steady rise of home sales and prices over the past few months.  All in all the real estate market is hanging tough and getting better every day.  Its not a scary place for buyers or sellers… come on in the water’s warm!

Well this is the start to a new blogging year for me and I look forward to sharing my thoughts, ideas and concerns related to the real estate market and all things going on in the New River Valley.

You can’t believe everything you hear.  How many times have you been told that one.  Well this time I have to say please take that into consideration.  If you were to listen to the news right now you are being told of the huge dive that continues in the real estate market and how bad things are and that anyone would be crazy to get into the market now.  Foreclosures are causing homeowners to be homeless all over and evil lenders are the root of all problems.  That is not to say that the mortgage lending industry is not with out its problems and that many homeowners are facing a terrible fate in losing their homes.  However in the large scheme of things there has been some light at the end of the tunnel and mostly it is shining on buyers.  Last month it was reported that home sales were up, great news, but it was unfortunately reported that while the number of sales were up home prices were down.  While this is great news for the real estate industry as a whole, I want to remind you that luckily the New River Valley’s real estate market has held its own in these bumpy times across the nation.  We have seen some changes over the last year, inventory is at a high, and appreciation rates are not sky high as in the past. 

What does all this mean? Well for buyers it means this is a great time to buy.  Why would you not want to buy when the inventory is at an all time high, that means more choices.  Sellers are being forced to be competitive in the over flooded market so prices are lower and sellers are willing to negotiate.  And to beat it all mortgage rates have been dropping.  This is a win win for buyers for sure. 

So the next time you read the paper or listen to the news telling you of the horrible real estate market and all the doom and gloom remember things are not always as they appear and that you can not believe everything you hear!  The New River Valley continues to be a thriving market for both sellers and buyers!  Just a different market than in years past, the sellers had their turn at being on control now it is the buyers turn.  All is fair in love and war!

At times while searching the MLS for clients and just to see what is new I will come across some photos that leave me asking why; no really WHY? I know we are not required to be photographers in this business, but having a basic knowledge of how to operate the camera is a must. Photos have become such an important part of our marketing efforts and are seen by thousands of buyers who are searching the internet daily. We must start paying more attention to what we are sending out for potential buyers to see.
In the past we have told our sellers that curb appeal and that first impression buyers get when they walk in the door are so important. So too are the photos we are putting out there for everyone to see. I admit I am not perfect, far from it actually but I try to make sure I am showing the house in the best light. My website provider recently posted on their blog bad MLS photos that they have come across. They are so good I wanted to share, they will make you wonder and may even inspire. There is also a site where you can see other famous shots seen around the world. These are some real gems!!  Check out Athol’s Bad MLS Photo of the Day blog for more laughs.  Here are a few that I found quite amusing so I wanted to share.  These are actual photos found on the MLS across the country.  Enjoy!!

Yes this agent took a picture of the picture on their computer. Makes you wonder what is worse the actual quality of the photo or the fact that they took a picture of the computer screen.

Yes this is the only photo on the MLS for this home.

We either have a structural issue or the Realtor fell and can’t get up.

This being my first ever blog post I welcome you to enjoy and share a few laughs and be patient with me as I get started.  Who knows what may actually come of this because I am flying by the seat of my pants here.  ~~The captain has turned on the fasten seat belts light so everyone please return to your seats and fasten your seat belts, we may encounter some turbulence.~~

How this all came to be- I have been encouraged by fellow colleague and Realtor, Jeremy Hart of the NRVLiving Team to give this blogging thing a whirl.  He has a great blog and so I am following in his footsteps here with this.  I was recently sent a meme by Jeremy and so my first post was to be about 5 things you did not know about me.  I will follow with that post later on but I felt I needed to preface my new adventure into the vast world of blogging by introducing myself.

My name is Alison Whittaker, in case you did not gather that from the title of my blog.  I am a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Townside in Blacksburg, Virginia.  And so the purpose of this blog will be to discuss real estate related events, topics and current events in the New River Valley.  Of course we may occasionally veer off course some and that is okay, we all need a little off roading from time to time to let your hair down.  Please feel free to offer comments and suggestions, I am always open for new ideas. 

***Okay here we go… I hope to inform, educate, encourage laughter and discussions of what ever comes up.  Enjoy and please come back soon!!  Also please check out my website at www.AlisonWhittaker.com for more useful real estate infromation.  (Shamelss plug I know)