You’re In Good Hands When You List With Kara and Wayne

This September, Kara and Wayne kept busy preparing listings for the market and, of course, representing buyers! 

Our approach is full-service and hands-on. We customize our services according to your needs. We will coordinate everything from replacing lightbulbs and re-caulking to kitchen and bath updates. Since we also work with buyers, we are experts in what today’s buyers are looking for.

When you work with us you get agents who have:

  • More than 15 years of experience
  • Sold over 190 homes
  • An Average List Price-to-Sold Price Ratio: 102.74%
  • Median Days on Market: 6
  • Exceptional customer service throughout the entire process

What does that mean for you? 

We use our years of experience, hyper-local market knowledge and expertise to get you top dollar in the shortest amount of time possible. 

A little about our process, we will:

  • Guide you throughout every stage of the sale of your home
  • Tour your home with a buyer’s eye and develop a personalized plan and coordinate any and all repairs and updates needed to make your property shine
  • Oversee the professional staging so your home will make the best first impression
  • Advise you on pricing strategically for the current market
  • Market your home through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), social media, email blasts, the expansive Keller Williams International network, and hundreds of consumer sites 
  • Negotiate fiercely on your behalf to get you the best value for your investment 

Check out some of our Before and After photos from recent listings:

3-Year Low in Interest Rates Lead to Savings for Home Buyers

Add a heading-4.jpgLast week mortgage rates remained at a 3-year low of 3.6 percent. One year ago in August 2018, the mortgage interest rate was 4.53 percent. What does that difference mean for your wallet? Our friends at UrbanTurf calculated the impact of this lower interest rate on monthly payments for a home with an $800,000 purchase price and a 20% down payment. The lower interest rate led to a savings of $345 a month, $4,140 per year, or $124,010 over the life of the loan! If these low rates have you considering a purchase, here are a few steps to get started:

  1. Schedule a meeting with Kara and Wayne. At the consultation Kara and Wayne will walk you through the buying process and assess your needs and wants.
  2. Know your budget and get pre-approved Kara and Wayne can provide names of local reputable lenders who can meet the financing timelines needed in the competitive DC market.
  3. Refine your wish list. Once you’ve identified and discussed your desired locations and criteria with Kara and Wayne, start to narrow down what is a “Must Have” vs. “Would be Nice”.
  4. Don’t do this alone. Why do you need an agent? With Kara and Wayne, you get real estate professionals on your side with extensive knowledge of the DC market, dedicated allies in negotiations, and even access to listings before they come on the market. Kara and Wayne can help you create the most competitive offer possible and win your dream home.

If you would like more information or to start a conversation, reach out to Kara and Wayne, today!

Helpful Links for First-Time Home Buyers

Kara’s home purchase

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My little house

During the Blizzard of 2016 while no one else was out looking at properties, Kara was the first and only agent to view a little house in Shaw that had just been listed.  Quietly and quickly she submitted an offer which became ratified while everyone else was home shoveling snow and before anyone else knew about it.  To say that this house is small is an understatement.  Just 13′ wide on the inside this house is perfectly livable for most people but Kara has a vision and an already well-organized plan.  As soon as she went to closing and the previous owner moved out, Kara had a construction crew go in and do some demolition work.

Built in 1880 and located on a quiet and charming block, this 2-bedroom, 1.5 bath home has a gated front yard (well, the gate is missing actually) and a deep fenced-in back yard.  The kitchen is tiny but that will soon all be gone and a new addition built onto the back.  On the first day she took possession, Kara had the place professionally photographed as “before” pictures.  The next day, however, an old plaster wall in the living room was chipped away and the original brick exposed.  All the trim around the windows and doors from a prior but rather poor attempt at a renovation 15 years ago is now gone.  Old carpet has been torn up and new white oak flooring will soon be installed.  An architect was hired, white lacquered kitchen cabinets have been selected, and now the somewhat long process of waiting for the city to issue construction permits begins.  We hope to share photos of this adventure in our future newsletters so be sure to keep a lookout.  Hard hat tours graciously offered.

Kara’s Renovation Project

I closed on my new (tiny) rowhouse in Shaw on February 29, 2016 — in a leap year! I guess my property will age more slowly than the neighbors’. So as not to waste any time, while I was under contract I put together a budget, made product and finish selections, and drafted my own vision for the addition in a software program. This made it easy for my architect and contractor to get started. The day after I took possession, I had the contractor and architect on site to get plans underway for my renovation and addition. The very next day, my crew got started on the interior demolition and even exposed a brick wall!

Level 1 Addition with seating area
My vision for the addition

Level 2 with addition 19FEB
My vision for the 2nd level