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It's been a busy year in the Roanoke Valley real estate market. While inventory has been historically low, data from the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors shows that 2017 has already surpassed 2016 in volume sold — that's how much has been sold in dollars. Likewise, we're on pace to top 2016's number of residential units sold.

For me, personally, 2017 has been my best year since I started working in real estate, and that's what prompted me to write this post.

You know, I've been in business in the Roanoke region for a long time — first, in my family's business, now in real estate — and I've learned some really critical lessons. The one that stands out as I look back over this year is that relationships are so impo...

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I work with a lot of homes that have been rehabbed before going on the market, so I'm always interested in home improvements and the effect they have on a home's value.

The National Association of REALTORS put out a Remodeling Impact Report. The report looks at the typical cost of remodeling projects as estimated by members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. It also reports what Realtors are seeing in the market regarding home improvements. 

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With fall settling in all around the Roanoke Valley and winter just on the horizon, many potential buyers are asking themselves whether they should buy now or wait until the new year. After all, the next couple of months are a busy time for everyone. Adding a home purchase on top of it all might be more than you want to take on.

Even so, there are good reasons to stay in the market and buy a house before the end of the year. So before you hang up your house-hunting hat, consider these advantages to buying now.

Mortgage rates are still low

After a surge in mortgage rates in late 2016/early 2017, rates on 30-year fixed mortgages largely trended downward until September. Now, they've started to inch upward again, as this graphic from lender FreddieMac shows....

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Gutters and downspouts are the type of home infrastructure that you don't think about until you've got a problem. When there is a problem, it can be expensive and complicated.

Let's give gutters and downspouts their due, after all, because they've got an important job: To handle all the water runoff from our roofs and route it to proper drainage away from the house. Gutters that are in good working order protect your home from costly water damage. Without high-quality, properly installed gutters and downspouts, you could be funneling water right to your foundation, which is no good.

When it comes time to replace your gutters and downspouts, you've got to choose the shape and material that will work best for your situation. To help you decide, I'm sharing this Buyer's Guide to Gutters & Downspouts created by Aerotech Gutter Service.

Oh, and when you do decide tackle your gutt...

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Every home has its quirks — those little things the homeowner learns to live with that could one day wind up on someone's fix-it list. If you've been thinking about selling your house, you might wonder exactly what you have to disclose to the buyer. Do you really have to talk about that time the the roof leaked a couple of summers ago or mention that the back door sticks sometimes?

State and federal law govern the disclosure of information by homeowners to prospective buyers. In Virginia, information must be disclosed per the state's Residential Property Disclosure Statement. Take a look at the document and you'll see that the responsibility to seek information about a property lies with the buyer.

Virginia is what's known as a Bu...

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