Date Archives November 2005

Market cool-down

David Hendrick at the DP wrote a good article for this past Sunday’s paper regarding the slowing Central VA market.  He takes a reasonable tact that describes the market rather than attempt to instill fear about the market – another reason why I like reading his stuff in the DP.The article also notes the first time that I have been quoted “above the fold” in print….  Waldo’s right – Experts gain a lot, I believe, by giving away bits of their expertise in this format.  It creates a new customer base, it gives something of value to the community, and it is bound to help forge ties between unlikely groups of people, which is always great.

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Mold can be bad

The issues arise when 1) the mold is the From all the home inspectors I have worked with, the gist is this – remove the source of the water infiltration, and the mold problem will often sort itself out.I have heard anecdotal evidence that having a radon mitigation system installed will help to dry out a basement — it may be worth it some some to have a mitigation system installed to work in conjunction with an always-recommended dehumidifief The EPA has some good resources on radon here, here and here, even a page specific to Virginia.The cost of a contractor fixing a home generally ranges from $800 to $2,500, depending on the characteristics of the house and choice of radon reduction methods.  The average cost of a radon reduction system is about $1,200.Most types of radon reduction systems cause some loss of heated or air conditioned air, which could increase your utility bills.  How much your utility bills will increase will depend on the climate you live in, what kind of reduction system you select, and how your house is built….  The “Installation and Operating Cost Table” lists the installation and average operating costs for different radon reduction systems and describes the best use of each method.

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Too few use Virtual Tours

There are 1147 properties actively on the market in the Central VA region as of this morning….  Granted, some properties simply do not lend themselves to be marketed this way, but the vast majority of homes do.  The more people who can see inside your home (remove all personal pictures, etc. first!)  the greater potential for gaining more showings and thus, hopefully a sale.

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