Thanks to everyone who came out to our open house in Fredericksburg to see the results of all our hard work. We received many compliments on all the design changes made to the house, which made it bright, open and modern.

We also got a lot of positive feedback about the benefits of doing a preview open house instead of a traditional open house. With a preview event, all major work has been completed but the finishing touches–such as paint colors, carpet colors, and appliance models– are undone, which gives potential buyers the ability to customize their home so they don’t have to change anything after moving in. And one lucky family is doing just that!

Here are some photos from the open house:

We’ll be holding a special preview/open house at 225 Colebrook Road in Fredericksburg, VA  for those who’ve expressed early interest in this great property.

Saturday 9/19 from 1-4 pm
Sunday 9/20 from 1-4 pm

If you would like to be a part of this special event and be one of the few to get a sneak preview at this fantastic fully-renovated brick rambler, email us at deals@prsproperties.com.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Front Walkway and Entry

We are making great progress on our full renovation of 225 Colebrook Road in Fredericksburg, VA. And I do mean FULL renovation: from completely tearing out all of the old, worn out interior to changing the layout to now starting to add all the luxury details. Let us know what you think!

We would be happy to give you a tour of the house before we open it to the public. If you’re interested, just email us at deals@prsproperties.com or give us a call at (703) 378-7466.

I recently found a notice that The National Association of Realtors put out regarding using the $8000 first-time homebuyer tax credit for a down payment or closing costs on a FHA-insured mortgage.

According to the notice, 11 states — including Virginia — offer this program. For more information, visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs.

If anyone out there has used, or tried to use, this option, please comment or write us so we can share your experience.

I’m not an accountant, mortgage broker, attorney or any other type of financial advisor. I just saw this info and wanted to share it. If you want to take advantage of this option, you should get professional help–maybe start by asking your mortgage broker.

Having a large room available in the house at 255 Colebrook Road, we decided to create a spacious second master suite, complete with a luxury bathroom and big double-headed shower.

After our personal experiences dealing with elderly family members, we decided to go the extra mile to make the whole suite handicapped accessible. We created a shower that has no step-over threshold. In the event a buyer or family member is in a wheelchair or requires a walker, they won’t have to worry about rolling or stepping over the threshold to get into the shower. For future needs, there is wood blocking installed in the framing of the walls for hand rails and a shower seat.

Having wheeled many a stretcher into homes during my long career in the fire department, we decided to install 36-inch wide doors to the master bedroom and bath in the event the suite will be used for an elderly or infirm resident. You’ve got to start thinking about these things as you get older, or reach the age when you find yourself caring for aging parents.

This foresight adds a bit more time and effort up front of course, but we know how much of a difference it can make to someone’s quality of life in the future, which makes it a no-brainer!

FYI:

The eligibility deadline for the $8000 first-time homebuyer tax credit is DECEMBER 1ST not DECEMBER 31ST!! I don’t know why they didn’t just make it the end of the year, but I have a feeling this is going to trip a lot of people up.

To take advantage of this great opportunity, you must be a first-time homebuyer and purchase a primary residence before December 1st!

For more information about this tax credit, visit http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/index.html.

We’ve also created a handy dandy countdown clock to keep tabs on the time running out (on the side bar to the right).

If you are looking to purchase a home for the first time, you only have about 3 more months to take advantage of this program. Don’t miss out!

We had a great turn out both days of our open house at 14111 Mount Pleasant Drive in Woodbridge, VA. And, after reviewing a few different offers, we accepted one!

Thanks for your interest in this property. It always feels great to be appreciated for all the effort we put into doing quality renovations. We take pride in our business, and work hard to provide you with a great house for a great price, unlike a lot of investors we see who throw together a simple “patch and botch” job and then hope you won’t notice.

While 14111 Mount Pleasant has been sold, we’ve got plenty of other deals in the works! Sign up for our buyer’s list using the form at the right to be notified of our other available properties, before they ever even go on the market. We look forward to helping you find a beautiful, affordable home!