Thinking about buying a home?

Now is the time! While you may think that prices will go lower, mortgage rates may go higher. So when you find the home of your dreams, jump on it! Just think, just 5-10% of the cost gets you in the front door! And once you are there, Uncle Sam wants to help you by giving you income tax deductions for real estate taxes and home mortgage interest. And when you want to sell, if you have lived in your house for at least two years, you get a $250,000 exemption from capital gains tax ($500,000 if you are married). You can decorate to your heart’s content without landlord approval. And while housing prices may go down occasionally, your home will never be worthless and will likely increase in value over the years. What’s not to like?

Want to appeal your property assessment? Here's how!

It’s that time again. Property assessments have just been mailed and you may think your property has been valued for more than it is worth. What many people don’t know is that you can appeal the assessment. Alexandria (703 838 4646) by April 1^st, Arlington (703 228 3920) by March 3^rd, Fairfax County (703 222 8234) by April 4^th and Falls Church (703 248 5022) by early March. Call the various offices for instructions on how to file your appeal.