MMK Realty’s Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog

There’s never been a truer statement regarding forecasting mortgage rates than the one offered last year by Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American: “You know, the fallacy of economic forecasting is: Don't ever try and forecast…

As a homebuyer, it’s important to plan and budget for the expenses you’ll encounter when you purchase a home. While most people understand the need to save for a down payment, a recent survey found 41% of homebuyers were surprised by their…

Wondering how to achieve the dream of homeownership in 2022? Homeownership has long been considered the American Dream, and it’s one every American should feel confident and powerful pursuing. But owning a home is also a deeply personal…

The game of chess can provide incredible lessons to apply to all aspects of life, including the homebuying process. Chess requires you to plan and think about your strategy from the very beginning of the game. The homebuying process, like…

The Big Question: Should You Renovate or Move? The last 18 months changed what many buyers are looking for in a home. Recently, the American Institute of Architects released their AIA Home Design Trends Survey results for Q3 2021. The survey…

The choice between renting or buying a property is one of the most important financial decisions one needs to make. Which one is better? This is a question that will come up in almost everyone's life. There's a multitude of reasons one might…

One of the major questions real estate experts are asking today is whether prospective homebuyers still believe purchasing a home makes sense. Some claim rapidly rising home prices are impacting demand and, by extension, leading to the recent…

So, what's motivating people to move right now? Well, that's a loaded question! Okay, so this year, Americans are moving for a variety of reasons. The health crisis has truly reshaped our lifestyles and our needs. Spending so much more time…

Truth: there are some common myths about Northern Virginia Real Estate agents that you probably assume are true! Planning to sell your home in Northern Virginia is a big decision. Most of us start the process with an internet search, but sorting…

Wondering why you should hire a Realtor to sell your home in Northern Virginia? Having trouble finding a solid buyer for your home in Northern Virginia? If that’s you, then you need an experienced realtor who knows how to get your home ready…

The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%.…

With mortgage interest rates hitting record lows so many times recently, some are wondering if we’ll see low rates continue throughout 2021, or if they’ll start to rise. Recently, Freddie Mac released their quarterly forecast, noting: “The…

Why Right Now May Be the Time to Sell Your House The housing market made an incredible recovery in 2020 and is now positioned for an even stronger year in 2021. Record-low mortgage interest rates are a driving factor in this continued momentum,…

Are you new to Northern Virginia? Are you looking for tips on how to be a good neighbor in Fairfax Virginia? Unless you live in a log cabin in the middle of the woods, chances are you do have neighbors that are a part of your community. Given…

If you’re downsizing in Northern Virginia, here’s how you can make the transition easier Need some downsizing tips for Northern Virginia Seniors and Retirees? For many seniors and retirees in Northern Virginia, downsizing from their family…

Fall is just around the corner and fall home maintenance should be on every homeowners radar. I have been in the business a long time and time and time again I come across homeowners that need reminders about what they should be doing in the…

Looking for a Northern Virginia summer home maintenance guide? Summer is upon us here in Northern Virginia and that means it is time for us to get outside--and take care of our summer home maintenance. Currently, summer home maintenance is probably…

Are you looking for ways Realtors are managing transactions during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Here in Northern Virginia, we (like much of the U.S.) are slowly realizing and beginning to adapt to life during the COVID-19 Pandemic. News headlines…

Are you looking for a Military Family’s Guide to living in Northern Virginia? If you are planning a military move because of a duty assignment or are simply looking to move to the Northern Virginia area because of its strong military population…

Looking for quick tips for winterizing your Northern Virginia home? Northern Virginia is a wonderful place to live and one of my favorite things about this area is that we enjoy four true weather seasons. Enjoyable as our weather is, Northern…

Looking for some strategies to add market value to your home? As is the case with most Americans, your home is likely your most significant financial investment. Thus, like most people, you desire to enhance the market value of your home whenever…

Need for real advice for Northern Virginia home sellers? Reality check. Things just got real. It’s time to sell your Northern Virginia home. Maybe you’re looking to upgrade or downsize or relocate for work. Or perhaps you’ve had a property…