• This January was a good bit stronger than the same month in 2018 and 2019.
   
• This February was also much stronger than the same month in 2018 and 2019.
   
• This March (or the first 25 days of it) was slower than the same timeframe during 2018 and 2019 - but not drastically slower.
   
• The total contracts signed thus far this year is still well above the number signed during the same timeframe for 2018 and 2019.

• If you have concerns about people you don't know walking through your home and potentially touching surfaces, or coughing or sneezing, you might now want to put your house on the market right now if you are still living in the home.
   
• Prospective buyers won't be the only ones to walk in or around your home - that list will also include the home inspector, appraiser, insurance agent, termite inspector, etc.
   
• It is possible that buyer activity will slow down, resulting in your house sitting on the market and not selling.

1. Houses keep coming on the market -- eight yesterday in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County -- which is typical for this time of year.
    
2. Many new listings are seeing lots of showings -- I speak from personal experience as it pertains to some of my listings, and from talking to other agents.
    
3. Many new listings are still going under contract quickly.

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can also enter your home through well water. Your home can trap radon inside.

Any home can have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time.

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States is estimated to have an elevated radon level (4 pCi/L or more).

1. February is but one month - and when we zoom out a bit (read on below) we see a different story.
    
2. The trends above (slower sales, lower prices) were based on transactions closed in February - while the rise of coronavirus (in Virginia) and the fall of the stock market have been in March - meaning there likely isn't much of a linkage.
   

1. We saw a 9% decline in February sales this year (61) compared to last year (67).  Probably not overly surprising given the super strong month of January sales.
    
2. The year-to-date pace of sales (Jan + Feb) is up 22% compared to last year.  We've seen 161 home sales this year as compared to only 132 last year.
    
3. Over the past year we've seen 1,352 home sales -- which is 4.48% more than the 1,294 sales we saw in the previous twelve months.
    
4. I don't have a nice purple number next to it above -- but the median sales price fell 11.67% in February to $189,900 when you compare it to last February.  Then when we zoom out a bit and look at January plus February we see that the median sales price has fallen 6.76% as compared to 2019.  But finally - look for the purple "4" above - the median sales price over the past 12 months is $222,500 and that is up 4.83% from the prior 12 months.  So, we'll say that prices are rising, though they have been lower than expected in January and February alone.
    
5. Homes continue to somehow sell faster - with the median "days on market" falling 32% over the past year to only 17 days.

• Voltaire: "The best is the enemy of the good."
   
  
• Confucius: "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."
   
  
• Shakespeare: "Striving to better, oft we mar what's well."

• Buyers of "less expensive" homes are faced with fewer options of what to buy, more competition from other buyers, and usually, eventually, find themselves to be more willing to compromise on what they are looking for in a home - be that in size, layout, condition, age, etc.
   
  
• Buyers of "more expensive" homes have somewhat more options of what to buy, somewhat less competition from other buyers, and and are generally less willing to compromise on what they are looking for in a home - be that in size, style, finishes, features, layout, condition, etc.

• Talk to a lender immediately to have a pre-qualification letter (or even better - a pre-approval letter) in hand when you are ready to make an offer.
   
• Track new listings closely so that you know as soon as a townhouse hits the market.
   
• Schedule an appointment ASAP to see the townhouse once it comes on the market. 
   
• If you want to make an offer, put aside time right away to meet with your agent to do just that.
   
• If there are (or are likely to be) multiple offers, consider offering the full asking price, or even going a bit above the asking price - depending, of course, on how reasonable the list price is.
   
• Offer as sizable of a deposit as you are comfortable with offering.  $2,000 is better than $1,000 is better than $500.
   
• Offer as short of a timeframe as is possible for the home inspection contingency - or forgo the inspection altogether if you are comfortable doing so, based on the property.
   
• If you don't need a closing cost credit, don't ask for one, even if the combination of the requested closing cost credit and your offering price still provide a desirable net price for the seller.  Asking for a closing cost credit when you don't need one unnecessarily inflates the contract price, creating more of a potential issue of having appraisal issues.
   
• Include as short as possible (20, 25 or 30 days) of a timeframe for obtaining loan approval.  You'll more easily follow through on this commitment if you are pre-approved instead of pre-qualified.  Ask me if you aren't sure about the difference here.
   
• Include as short of a possible timeframe for closing on the purchase, while still taking into account any ramifications of the seller's situation or timetable.
   
• Include a cover letter to the seller if you so desire, to explain who you are, why you want to buy the townhouse, where you work, whatever is going to help personalize the offer and help the seller to see you as people rather than just proposed contract terms on paper.
   
• Be patient in waiting to hear back from the property owner.  They may very well have quite a few showings over the first few days and may understandably want to let multiple buyers view the property and consider an offer before responding to the very first offer that they received.
  

• Average fee per property = $276.19 per year ($23 / month)
   
• Townhome owners would likely pay around $80 per year ($7 / month)
   
  
• Fees are calculated based on rooftop square footage.
   
• The fee is $0.10 per square foot of rooftop.
   
• The fee will be included in your real estate tax bill, but as a separate item.
   
• The Stormwater Authority will mail out letters to property owners to notify them of the potential fees.