MMK Realty’s Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog

There are a lot of great reasons why military members should buy a home in Northern Virginia. There are two reasons in particular that are especially advantageous to military members: tax benefits and the VA loan--but more on that in a moment.…

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…

Being intentional and competitive are musts when buying a home this season. That’s why pre-approval is so important today. Pre-approval from a lender is the only way to know your true price range and how much money you can borrow for your…

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…

When it comes to the latest news in real estate, there are a lot of sensational headlines in the media. In times like this, when it can be hard to know what to believe, put your trust in the experts. Those of us in the housing market respect…

Selling your house? Make sure you price it right. There’s no denying we’re in a sellers’ market. With low inventory and high buyer demand, homes today are selling above the asking price at a record rate. According to the latest Realtors…

Should you sell your home right now? Homebuyers are flooding the housing market right now to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Many have a sense of urgency to find a home soon since experts forecast a steady rise in both rates and…

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, saving for a down payment is one of the most important steps in the process. One of the best ways to jumpstart your savings is by starting with the help of your tax refund. Using data from…

According to data from the most recent Origination Insight Report by Ellie Mae, the average FICO® score on closed loans reached 753 in February. As lending standards have tightened recently, many are concerned over whether or not their credit…

In today’s housing market, it seems harder than ever to find a home to buy. Before the health crisis hit us a year ago, there was already a shortage of homes for sale. When many homeowners delayed their plans to sell at the same time that…

Home values appreciated by about ten percent in 2020, and they’re forecast to appreciate by about five percent this year. This has some voicing concern that we may be in another housing bubble like the one we experienced a little over a decade…

Are you looking for staging tips to help get your Northern Virginia home sold? Through the years, you’ve worked hard to maintain your home and keep it in its best-possible condition. Outside of making it a nicer place to live, you’ve probably…

Looking for signs that you should sell your Fairfax area home soon? To sell or not to sell? This question is not always an easy one to answer. After all, there are so many memories and happy moments that come with your home. It is probably…

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 decluttering tips to help get you motivated and organized? It is 2020 after all, and while you may still may be decompressing from the holidays you are probably at least thinking about how you want to improve your home in…