There are so many questions that buyers and sellers ask me about the appraisal process and valuing homes that I decided to ask an appraiser directly. Here she answers my frequently heard questions and one that she hears all the time as well.

Homebuyers often rely on a real estate agent to select the settlement company they use to buy a home. It’s not a bad idea to have a few names ahead of time so you can do a little research and pick the one that is best for you. But what are the important factors when selecting a settlement company?

A bedroom or not a bedroom? That is the question. It seems this issue is one that real estate agents are constantly explaining to home buyers. Often because listings have bedroom counts that appear to be wrong. What are the rules? What makes a room a bedroom?

It’s winter and inventory is low. Should I wait until spring to start my home search? Absolutely Not! It’s true that inventory is low at this time of year, but within that small number of listings could be your dream home.

In the DC metropolitan area, homes with swimming pools are not very easy to sell. But as soon as the public pools close each year, I seem to attract a few clients who are interested in swimming pools. This year it seems many of my buyer clients are looking at buying a home and then installing a pool.