Meet Carolyn Young, Real Estate REMAX Realtor Loudoun Virginia

1. How did you first get into buying and selling houses?

I am a life-long resident of the Northern Virginia area, and I have always loved architecture and the idea of a home versus a house. Twenty years ago, Loudoun County was just starting to really grow, and I decided at the time that real estate was something that I would love to do--I was right! Within six months, I quit my full-time job and have never looked back!

2. What are some of the most often overlooked parts by home owners when selling their home?

Putting a home on the market is all in the details--it's very important, if a seller wants to get top dollar, to allow the buyer to feel comfortable about the home, and by that I mean that the home has been historically well-maintained, and not just staged for one day's showing. For example, caulking, air filters, water filters, ceiling stains, gutters--it all should be buttoned up. Trust me, buyers look at these things.

3. How has the housing market changed in Loudoun County over the past few years?

Loudoun County, like many markets, has been on a roller coaster over the last ten years--rapid rise, rapid fall, flat, and now steady growth. The last five years have been phenomenal in terms of growth--if you moved out-of-state during this time, and moved back, you would be hard pressed to even recognize some areas. There is growth everywhere.

4. What makes a house a good investment?

All things being equal: location. The changing tide will raise and lower all the boats equally; in real estate, however, a home in a good location will fall more slowly and recover more quickly than other homes. Overall, good location stabilizes a home's value over the long term.

5. For anyone reading this who wants to get into investing in properties and fixing them up to resell, what's your advice?

Be prepared to compete with others who have the same idea; know how much materials and labor cost, and choose your properties wisely. Be willing to walk away from the wrong house at the "right" price. And have a good agent on your side, preferably one who owns investment property.

To learn more about some of the properties we have listed with Carolyn Young Real Estate, please visit our Loudoun Virginia Homes for Sale website, and we'll be in touch right away.

Thanks, Carolyn!

Meet Don McClain of EZ House Buyers

Based in Houston, Texas, Don McClain of EZ House Buyers provides a way to sell your house fast.

1. Who can benefit from EZ House Buyers?

EZ House Buyers provides an alternative to the traditional sales channels of hiring a realtor, cleaning up the property, doing open houses and showings, negotiating a contract, inspections, long closings, costly repairs, etc. We assist property owners by providing them with a quick solution and a fair price. We buy properties "as is, where is", and we pay the closing costs. In short, we provide a valuable alternative to property owners who want to sell quickly.

2. What is the average closing time for these transactions?

All we need is to get title work done and make sure there are no outstanding liens on the property that are not being paid. We have closed deals in as little as two days. Sometimes we need the seller's assistance in tracking down missing heirs. Other than that, we can close very quickly--sometimes much faster than the seller was aware that we could.

3. What are the most common reasons for selling a property through EZ House Buyers?

There are many reasons that a property owner would want to sell quickly. Some of the most common are: loss of job, pending foreclosure, illness, divorce, costly repairs, investment property that needs to be sold, death in the family that results in a situation where heirs would rather have the cash than the property. There are many reasons, and EZ House Buyers custom tailors a solution for each seller.

4. What is fair market value price for these properties?

We typically pay more than anyone else in the market. The amount depends on the property type and location, and if it is rural or urban property. We run comparables on the property and typically can pay up to 65% for rural properties and up to 75% for urban properties.

5. How is EZ House Buyers better than other realtors or home buyers for cash?

EZ House Buyers evaluates each situation carefully. We customize a solution for each property owner. If a seller needs to stay in the property for a time after closing, for example, we can do a lease-back to them. Also, we work with the property owners to help them clear title on properties that may have title issues. On each and every deal, we work to make sure everyone is pleased, and we work to get the property owners as much for their property as possible.

Thanks, Don!

Meet Charlie Bennett of Bennett Atherton Investments

Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Charlie Bennett is the CEO and a founding partner of Bennett Atherton Investments, a firm that buys, restores, and sells houses. He's a licensed realtor and active real estate investor with a passion for rehabbing old homes. As a lifelong resident of Tonka Bay, MN, Charlie is an expert on the small, yet complicated markets that make up the Lake Minnetonka area. Learn more at http://www.ba-invests.com.

1. How did you first get into buying and selling houses?

I was a used car salesman. It wasn't a career I was too enthusiastic about which was a real problem in my life as my Dad and both grandparents were all car dealers. There was a local eyesore property, and I drove by it every day. I had no money and no experience, but I was certain we could bring it back to life. My mother is a designer, and I had seen her do some pretty neat projects. I didn't have enough money to buy anything on my own, so I found a business partner, Richard Atherton. We bought our first property for $85,000 and sold it "for sale by owner" for $240,000. The rest is history.

2. What are some of the most important things to change and update when you sell a house?

If you're on a budget, start with THE INSIDE!!! It's where you live. It's what you see the most. I would rather have a rockstar interior and an average exterior than vice versa! Wouldn't you? The art of living is living in art :)

3. How has the housing market changed in Minnetonka, Minnesota over the past few years?

I focus exclusively on Tonka Bay, Shorewood, and Excelsior. It's a very small area geographically. Many houses are turning over for the first time in well over a decade. A properly priced home is moving quickly, so offers need to be quick and near full asking price.

4. What makes a house a good investment for you--or in other words, how do you choose which properties to buy?

I'm looking for properties within Minnetonka School district. We buy and remodel everything as if we're moving in. We want good bones (layout) with a good lot. Cosmetics don't matter in the slightest bit as we're remodeling 100% anyway. Unfinished square footage is a bonus!

5. For anyone reading this who wants to get into investing in properties and fixing them up to resell, what's your advice?

My advice is to consult experts. I'm part of a multi-person team. I'm the real estate / investment side, my designer designs, and my builder builds. Trying to wear all the hats is not a good idea.

Thanks, Charlie!

Meet Todd Miller, Realtor and Creator of the Homing In App

Todd Miller is a Las Vegas real estate broker. In 2009, he and his wife were the #1 team in the nation for real estate sales in the US, according to the Wall Street Journal. He is the creator of an app called Homing In, which gives people expert-sourced values of their homes. To use the app, a homeowner takes a couple pictures of their house and submits the photos with any relevant notes about the property; then, up to five real estate agents can respond with their opinion on the value of the house. Learn more at HomingInApp.com/.

1. What gave you the idea to create Homing In?

I came up with the idea to create Homing In after years of doing a few thousand Broker Price Opinions for banks during the foreclosure boom. The banks would use this information to price their homes before listing them. Often, they would ask multiple agents to do them and pick which one did the best job to give the listing to. I decided this tool should also be something that consumers have access to. So I created the Exactimate, which gives any home owner the same power a bank has: getting accurate values quickly from actual professionals.

2. How does the app come up with the "exactimate" for the value of a home--and how many real estate agents are currently sharing their expertise through the app?

Right now there are about 200 agents nationwide signed up. We've completed value requests in Boston, Las Vegas, San Jose, and Durham NC. Up to five agents can respond. The Exactimate is just the mathematically most likely number, so if three agents all come up with $250,000 for a house, that's going to be the Exactimate. Since they don't see each other's values, they are truly doing their work independently without bias.

3. Why aren't the guesstimates on other sites more accurate?

Online valuation tools like the Zillow Zestimate use lots of data, but sometimes that data is misleading. If a person buys a fixer upper, and then puts $50,000 into repairs, they may have added as much as $100,000 in value to a property. Zillow doesn't know that because the computer can't see the inside of the house and get that information from the consumer. It just knows it sold for X. An agent makes a qualitative decision and can accurately value it. The computers can't.

4. Why did you decide to give the app away for free?

I felt this was something people need to have. Consumers should just have more access to information, and agents should be able to share their knowledge quickly and in a meaningful way. The agent may end up listing the house for sale if they do a good job, and the consumer might just find a really good agent in the process.

5. For people who are looking to sell, do you have any favorite tips for increasing the value of their home before putting it on the market?

The best thing people can do it talk to their agent before they sell. Agents tend to know which things add value and which don't. It depends on the house, the features, and the condition of the inside of the house. The key is to only upgrade things that add more value than the cost of the upgrade. With Homing In, they can get those recommendations through the app.

Thanks, Todd!