David Bruce

Buying A Home Category

November 10th, 2009

$8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit at a Glance

New Tax Credits Provide Outstanding Opportunities for First Time Homebuyers!

The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has extended the tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence.  Here are the details for the $8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance… Read the rest of this entry »

November 4th, 2009

Is It Time To Buy Richmond Real Estate?

If you’re looking at homes for sale in the Richmond area and are waiting around for “the deal of a lifetime”, you might want to rethink your strategy.  If you’re a Richmond real estate market watcher and trying to digest all the information through the news media and websites, you’re probably overwhelmed with confusion by now wondering where is the bottom of the market. Is the Richmond real estate market improving or still going down? Read the rest of this entry »

October 12th, 2009

Buying A Richmond Condo or Townhouse

The easiest way to understand the concept of a Richmond area condominium or townhouse ownership is to see it as an apartment you own. Your ownership extends inward from your interior walls, floors and ceilings. In addition, you are a partner, with all of the other owners in the complex, of the exterior structure (the foundation, exterior walls and roof) as well as any common areas and amenities (for example, swimming pools, clubhouses, tennis courts, play areas, etc.) Read the rest of this entry »

October 4th, 2009

Richmond Parade of Homes Information

The 2009 Richmond Parade of Homes kicked off yesterday and runs through October 18th. You may tour 71 new homes throughout the Greater Richmond and Tri-City areas priced from $170,000 to over $1.5 million. The event is put on by the Home Builder Association of Richmond.  Here is a link to the Association’s helpful website which you can use as a tool for selecting homes to tour and planning your route.

If you are considering buying a new home in the Richmond area make sure you have Buyer representation in the process it can save you thousands!  Read the rest of this entry »

October 1st, 2009

Why Richmond is a Great Place to Live!

Found this video on YOU TUBE.  The City of Richmond, Chamber of Commerce or any other area organization could spend a million and not come up with something as good as this.  An instant classic!  Looking for a home in the Richmond area?  Skye Bruce Properties has a team of professionals to help you with your search.  From the Fan to Southside, From Ginter Park to Short Pump, from Goochland to Varina; Skye Bruce Properties can find you a great home at a great price!  Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!

September 29th, 2009

A Richmond Homebuyer’s Experience

We love it when we here from our clients!  Below is a note we recently received from a couple we helped buy and sell a Richmond area home. A home purchase can be a complicated process, but at Skye Bruce Properties we try to make the process a fun and low stress experience!

Catena Armstrong with Skye Bruce Properties was wonderful to work with. Her vast experience and inviting personality make her an excellent REALTOR and an easy, comfortable fit for us. Looking back sometimes it seemed as if she knew what we were looking for more than we did. It was obvious that she wanted us to find the perfect fit and would look with us as long as it took. She arranged last minute showings, drove out to look at houses in the middle of nowhere, entertained our son so we could look around, showed up early at appointments to check out the houses in advance. We learned a lot from Catena about the types of questions to ask, things to consider long-term that we would not have thought of otherwise, and how to write a solid contract. We valued her perspective and input. We are now in our new home and loving every minute of it. I will think of Catena every time I walk across my welcome mat. BILL & KELLIE L.

Want to learn more about the home buying process? Check out our page on Understanding The Home Buying Process! Looking to buy or sell a home and want a low stress experience? Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!

September 8th, 2009

First Time Homebuyer Experience

We love it when we here from our clients!  Below is a note we recently received from a couple we helped buy their first home.  A home purchase can be a complicated process, but at Skye Bruce Properties we try to make the process a fun and low stress experience!

Hello Skye, I just wanted to write a couple lines and thank Laura Williams and the Skye Bruce Properties family. My husband and I were first time home buyers and quite frankly afraid to buy for many years. We’ve often heard horror stories of friends having to write their own offer letters, missed appointments and nightmare encounters leading up to and during closing. Laura was right there for us every step of the way explaining why, when, and how each task is completed. Laura made buying our home a WONDERFUL experience and we can’t thank her enough. We are extremely happy home owners and recommend Laura and the Skye Bruce Team every chance we get!    John and Nichole

Want to learn more about the home buying process?  Check out our First Time Homebuyer Headquarters! Looking to buy your first home and want a low stress experience?  Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!

August 13th, 2009

Home Inspection Tips for Homebuyers

You have made an offer on a Richmond area home and it has been accepted.  Congratulations!!!  Included in your offer was a provision for a home inspection.  Smart!!!  Here are some tips for that all important home inspection.

Make sure that there will be proper access to the home and that all areas can be viewed and inspected. Make sure that all of the utilities have been turned on including water, electric, gas and oil supplies if there is oil fired equipment in the home. There have been many times recently that I did not have complete access to the home. Have the sellers remove storage away from foundation walls and garage walls so that they can be inspected. If the home inspector can not view the area he or she must indicate that in the report and that becomes an area of open risk because its not visible. Read the rest of this entry »

August 11th, 2009

Richmond Real Estate Negotiation 101

Real Estate is one of the few places in American life where some form of negotiation is the rule rather than the exception. Just because it is the norm does not mean that most people are good at it.  Many people feel that they are the best negotiators in the world, but in reality, it is a learned art. It takes a keen understanding of the process in order to be a good negotiator.

When it comes to Real Estate matters, the 3 most important aspects of an effective negotiation are:

1) Information 2) Preparation 3) Realism

Recognizing that being a good negotiator does not come naturally to most people is the first step in becoming one! Read the rest of this entry »

July 27th, 2009

It’s Still a Buyer’s Market in Richmond!

The economy is improving and there are positive signs in the real estate market BUT, it’s still a buyer’s market!  Central Virginia area home sales numbers along with National and State numbers show a real estate market down compared to a year ago but,  improving compared to earlier this year.  Median prices fell as well.  Richmond area home prices dropped about 12 1/2 percent to $206,904 in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.  In Virginia prices fell about 8 1/2 percent to $245,885 in quarter 2 (April/May/June).  While prices are off they are not as far off as they were in the first quarter of 2009 (Jan/Feb/Mar).  What does it mean?  There are still more houses for sale than there are buyers and it’s still a great time to buy a home.

Nationally, sales of previously owned homes rose for the third straight month in June. The National Association of REALTORS reports sales increased about 3 1/2 percent in June which is better than predicted and expected.  The national median price for June was $181,800 in June, down about 15 1/2 percent from a year ago.

Interested in buying a Richmond area home?  Skye Bruce Properties can help make sense of the current real estate market and help you develop a buying strategy to get the most home for your money.  Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!