There seems to be some confusion on whether or not Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is tax deductible this year (2013). The answer is YES, but only in certain income brackets. The chart below will help you answer whether you qualify for the PMI tax deduction while purchasing your Northern Virginia home.
I highly recommend to consult your professional tax adviser before making a decision.
Ritu Desai & Samson Properties Presents New Listing…
Engle Homes Stunning”Augusta” model with 3 finished levels
Traditional sale…no waiting or dealing with the banks!
MLS # LO8011181
Address: 43074 Shadow Ter. Leesburg VA 20176 
Year Built: 2001
List Price: $395000
HOA: Potomac Station
Schools:
Tolbert Elementary
Harper Park Middle School
Heritage High School.
Special Features
** Three bedrooms, t
hree full and one half baths with a large two car garage town home.
** Gleaming hardwood on entire main level.
** Spacious and open gourmet kitchen with an abundance of upgrades including 42″ maple cabinets, bay window, gas cooktop with telescopic downdraft fan, Corain counter tops and sink, French door stainless steel refrigerator, dishwasher, convention microwave and GE black double wall oven.
** Elegant separate formal dining room.
** Family room with wall of windows, built ins , cozy gas fireplace and French door leading to large deck.
** Enjoy spring and summers on large Trex deck with stairs leading to a beautiful fenced backyard. Includes a gas line for BBQ.
** Stupendous master bedr
oom suite with tray ceiling, elegant ceiling fan and light fixture, huge walk in closet space. Private master bath with 12X12 ceramic tiled flooring, soaking tub, oversized dual vanity space & separate shower.
** Large secondary bedrooms have valuated ceilings, classy ceiling fans with light fixtures.
** Convenient second full bath & a linen closet off the hallway. 
** Much desired front loader washer and dryer at bedroom level.
** Fully finished basement/recreation room with neutral carpeting, recesses lights, brand new full bath, pre-wired for speaker system and walk out level to fully fenced backyard with patio.
** Oversized garage with ample of storage and room for workbench
** Community Amenities includes: Basket ball court, Tennis court, Out door pool, Tot/Lots, Jogging/walking trails and a club house for a low HOA Fee of $82 per month.
** Location! Minutes to Route 7, 15, Entertainment, shopping and dining at Lansdowne, Leesburg Premium Outlet and much more.
More Picture and details Click Here
Check out the 3rd Annual Loudoun Grown Expo! This event brings Loudoun’s wineries, CSAs, producers, and local restaurants together to showcase Loudoun’s local foods under one roof for all to enjoy. The Expo is held in the historic Bush Tabernacle (skating rink) in Purcellville, Virginia
Event time: 2-6pm
Admission Fee/Ticket Price: Free
Location:
Town of Purcellville
Bush Tabernacle Skating Rink
250 S Nursery Ave
Purcellville, VA 20132
Phone: 540 751-2300
Website: http://www.loudoungrownexpo.com
Parking – Free overflow parking at the Blue Ridge Bible Church and Loudoun Valley Community Center with free shuttle service between 2 and 6:30PM. You can view a map of the overflow parking here.
Ritu Desai & Samson Properties Presents New Listing…
Richmond America’s Gorgeous “Newcastle” with 3 finish levels End Unit.
MLS # FX8005669
Address:13317 Misty Dawn Dr. Herndon VA 20171
Year Built: 2000
List Price: $485000
HOA fees includes: Tennis court, Pool, Basket ball court, Tot/Lots, community house and jog/walking trail.
Schools:
McNair Elementary
Rachel Carson Middle School
Westfield High School.
Special Features about the home:
** Gorgeous Richmond America’s Newcastle model end unit three bedrooms, two Full and two Half baths with large two car garage town home.
** Traditional Sale…no waiting or dealing with the banks!
** Elegant and open floor plan includes spacious living and dining room combo with upgraded light fixtures, crown molding, wall of windows, custom blinds and cozy three sided gas fireplace 
** Bright & spacious gourmet kitchen with stone flooring, recesses lights, granite counter tops, black profile appliances, 42” raised panel maple cabinets, huge walk in pantry, pot rack, under mount sink and office desk. .
** Family and sun room off kitchen with stone flooring, new box bay window and sliding door leading to large deck , prewired speaker system in the ceiling. Perfect for daily needs and entertainment.
** Enjoy this spring and summer on large deck.
** Master suite with vaulted ceiling, pre-wired speaker system with built in speakers in the ceiling, custom blinds, huge walk in closets, ceiling fan with light fixture. Luxurious Master bath with dual vanities, separate soaking tub and shower.
** Large secondary bedrooms with convenient second full bath & a linen closet off the hallway.
** Fully finished basement/recreation room features Berber carpeting, recesses lights, half bath, black out roman shades perfect with pre-wired for media room and walk out level to fully fenced backyard.
**Large garage with additional storage space.
Selling your Northern Virginia home in winter comes with its own needs. Buyers and buyers agent know that motivated seller will be in the market to sell during harsh winter weather. Being vacant adds additional weight for the buyer to feel the seller is desperate to sell.
So how do you maximize on your home while selling in slow & gloomy winter weather months.
1. Buy Floor Lamps– If the bedrooms don’t have lights please please please place some lights in the rooms. So prospect buyers can see the room even in the winter darkness. 
2. Leave the Front light ON– I have a small flashlight along with my lock box key so that I can go up to the front door and open the lock box for the buyers. If your street is pitch dark leave your front door lights and lights near the garage ON all the time. Apart from that invest in small pathway solar lights along your walk way. It adds ambiance plus helps potential buyer see the path leading to your door.
3. Clean the walk ways– With drop in over night temperature the fallen leaves from the trees can cause a slipper driveway and walk way. Rake or clear the walk way for any accidents. If icy or snow condition hire someone to clean the walk ways. Don’t create a challenge path for buyers to get through your front door.
4. Set Right Temperature- With bone chilly weather we have this winter last thing potential buyer wants to do is walk in and out of the home. Honestly even the REO /foreclosure properties now have temperature set to make the buyer feel warm and cozy in the house. Don’t be frugal and leave the temperature on your thermostat very low.
5. Fragrances- Please do not over do with plugins or fragrances. Since the home is vacant and closed it can over power the smell in the home. Few buyers have complaint they get headaches after this strong fragrance smell.
On a side note: Do leave a roll of toilet paper roll & soap along with roll of paper towel.
One of my buyer who wrote a contract couple months back on a beautiful home in Ashburn Virginia found out that he cannot purchase….so how do you void a builder written contract for a home that won’t be ready to deliver until mid summer or it may be ready for closing?
As we all know builders hire their finest attorneys to write their contract. So getting out for a buyer is also a big challenge!!!
If you do get into this situation where you have to void the contract your first step would be to contact your Realtor. Be honest about your reason why you want to void the contract. Provide any supporting documents that you can to prove your honestly and reasoning. Let the Realtor approach the sales manager at the builder’s office.
Depending on the reason the builder can take one of the following step:
1. Mutually agree to void the contract and refund your deposit.
2. Forfeit your earnest money deposit.
3. Forfeit your earnest money deposit plus come after for additional damages or loss they may have to incur for the sale of that home site/home.
4. Forfeit agreed amount of deposit.
In my case, the spouse was diagnosed with cancer. They are currently renting and would love to own their dream home. However considering the expense and uncertainty they wanted to void the contract. I approached the builder who was very sympathetic to their situation and agreed to void the contract without any penalties.
Few years back I had another situation where the couple decided to separate and neither one could qualify for the mortgage on their own. Again we got the builder to void the contract and deposit was refunded.
The ultimate decision may depend on the builder and what options and stage of construction the home is at.
Consulting an real estate attorney is recommended.
With growth comes its plain and pleasure. Loudoun is fast and richest county as we all know. With this fast growth Eastern Loudoun resident especially Ashburn & Leesburg schools may be rezoned in 2013-2014 school year. This will have a huge impact on all Eastern Loudo
un resident and potential home buyers and sellers.
The two new elementary school that will open next year in Ashburn is – Discovery Elementary and Moorefield Elementary schools. With these two new school opening Loudoun School Board has rezoned thirteen schools in eastern Loudoun.
Click on the map, it shows which neighborhood zones to which school district. This has also impacted certain neighborhood in Leesburg area.
If you are a parent and looking at a particular school in Ashburn do check with the school board on the zoning before buying or moving into the area.
You can check out their website for the latest decision at LCPS.gov
Click on the map for details on proposed zoning
Ritu Desai & Samson Properties Presents New Listing…
Brick front NV Homes Gorgeous “Potomac Model” with 4 levels on a large corner lot of 0.31 acres.
MLS# LO7989577
Address: 25471 KINSALE PLACE Aldie VA 20105
Neighborhood/Subdivision: KIRKPATRICK FARMS
List Price: $639000
Year Built: 2007
HOA due: $85 per month.
HOA fees includes: Community center with a swimming pool, numerous tot lots, basketball and tennis courts, ball fields, and interconnecting trails ,fitness center, Lake and Gazebo
Schools: Elementary : Pinebrook Middle School : Mercer High School: John Champe
Special Features about the home:
suite with private bath.
Below statement should help you make a judgment on how the strong housing market is in the Northern Virginia Loudoun County area:
“The average sold price in the Loudoun county for the month of Nov. 2012 was $455,193 compared to Dec. 2012 the average sold price is $446,521.”
Across the county we have seen a double digit increase in the average sold price (11.15%), sold dollar value (32.64%) and detached homes average sold price (13.28%) with decline (in positive way) the number of days on the market and the biggest impact was by the reduction in the inventory (-18.53%).
These stats reflect market did not slow down or freeze due to gloaming fiscal cliff and/or holiday season. The Loudoun County home buyers in the Northern Virginia area can tell you lack of inventory and continuing historic low interest rate is building a pressure and finding a home in the area. Homes that are priced right are getting under contract within a short period and some of them end up receiving multiple offers.
Loudoun county new construction is also holding strong. Most of the builders are adding lot premiums and increasing the price for every 4th or 5th home sold. Home site/lots are being released slowing. Most of the builders office are taking the name down and putting potential buyer on the wait list.
It does feel like 04/05 but that is the reality of the housing market in the Northern Virginia area.
Outlook for spring 2013: If the trend of low inventory and interest rate stay we will have a another huge surge in the average home price and buyers will feel lot of pressure finding right home and wining the bid.
Below statement should help you make a judgment on how the strong housing market is in the Northern Virginia Fairfax County area:
“The average sold price in the Fairfax county for the month of Nov. 2012 was $493,381 compared to Dec. 2012 the average sold price is $515,626.”
Across the county we have seen a double digit increase in the average sold price, sold dollar value and detached homes average sold price with decline (in positive way) the number of days on the market and the biggest impact was by the reduction in the inventory (-31.42%).
These stats reflect market did not slow down or freeze due to gloaming fiscal cliff and/or holiday season. The Fairfax County home buyers in the Northern Virginia area can tell you lack of inventory and continuing historic low interest rate is building a pressure. Homes that are priced right are getting under contract in a short period and some of them end up receiving multiple offers.
Outlook for spring 2013: If the trend of low inventory and interest rate stay we will have a another huge surge in the average home price.
Virginia Residential Real Estate Market 