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The Top 5 Styles of Single Family Homes

August 13 by Marina Brito

A few years ago, I visited Las Vegas, and came across what at the time was a novel concept of frozen yoghurt: YogurtLand.

But it wasn’t just any frozen yoghurt, it was self-serve frozen yoghurt, with many flavors to choose from. Some of these flavors were familiar (such as Vanilla, Strawberry and Tart), and yet others were an invitation to adventure (such as Taro, Green Tea and Dragon Fruit).

Yogurtland’s flavors are unexpected

When many of our clients who come from out of town move to Fairfax County, they are also familiar with certain kinds of homes they come across, and yet there are styles of homes that feel new to them.

In a previous post, we talked about the “Single Family – Townhome – Condo” type of home. And, as promised, this time, we’ll look at the top 5 styles of Detached Single Family homes that are commonly found in the Fairfax County Real Estate market.

The following 5 styles of single family homes are the most commonly-found in Fairfax County: Continue Reading…

Is a “Single family – Townhome – Condo” an oxymoron?

August 6 by Marina Brito

Some people who are new to Fairfax County Real Estate wonder what the difference is between a “single family”, a “townhome”, and a “condo” and if it’s possible to have a such a thing as a single family-townhome-condo.

To start, let’s say that a Single family-Townhome-Condo is one of the types of residential real estate available in Fairfax County.

And before we find out what kind of strange home that might be, let’s look at the 3 most commonly-found types of homes that you can buy in Northern Virginia:

Best Elementary Schools in Fairfax County

July 27 by Marina Brito

A few weeks ago, we identified the Top High Schools in Fairfax County VA based on US News’s State rankings.

This week, we’ve been inspired by Northern Virginia Magazine, with their Best Elementary Schools article. Their article covers several Counties, and here, we are focusing on the best elementary schools in Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Schools: Best Elementary Schools

NoVa Magazine’s Best Elementary Schools

In Northern Virginia magazine’s article, their staff poured through the School Report cards available on the Virginia Department of Education to extract the following four elements to determine their “Best Elementary Schools” list: Continue Reading…

How the Law of Transparency affects you (on Buyer Agency)

July 23 by Marina Brito

On a Saturday night, you take a final look in your little compact mirror to double-check that your mascara, lipstick, and your hair are “just right”. Once satisfied with your great look, you walk into a chic bar hoping to meet someone nice, make a new friendship, and if the stars align, perhaps even get a date.

Transparency is something to look forward to

There’s a new dating law in town

As you are doing your mascara check, you remember that there has been a new law enacted which establishes that all men are required to tell women if they are already dating someone. And, before getting into personal details, everybody must sign a dating agreement.

So, you take a big breath and walk toward a lonely guy at the bar

Continue Reading…

Last chance to avoid paying taxes (legally)

July 13 by Marina Brito

Last chance to avoid paying taxes on short sale forgiven debt

Last year, Laura sold her home for less money than she owed the bank. And once she sold it, she was all set: no more house debt, no more payments to worry about and no more big headaches.

Like the Godfather: Avoid paying taxes (but legally!)

Like the Godfather: don't pay taxes

Many people in the last few years, like Laura, have had to sell their homes “short” (i.e. For less money than they owe the bank) because they were facing financial hardship and could no longer pay their mortgage.

And thanks to an exception to the US tax rules, many people who have done a “short sale” on their primary home, have been able to walk away free from further debt.