Vacation Homes: Is Now the Time to Buy?" alt="Vacation Homes: Is Now the Time to Buy?" />

Deborah Rehyer of Vienna, Va. had just one requirement for buying a vacation home: It had to be waterfront. Her search began in a region 90 minutes from her home, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. And her search ended on the opposite side of the state with a six-acre parcel on a tidal pond just off the Chesapeake ... Continue Reading »

D.C. Real Estate's Most Powerful Person: Public Schools Chief?" alt="D.C. Real Estate's Most Powerful Person: Public Schools Chief?" />

Does the blunt, no-nonsense administrator of Washington, D.C., public schools actually influence home values in the city? Washington City Paper blogger Lydia DePillis argues that Michelle Rhee does, although area Realtors and residents aren't as sure. In her three years as schools chancellor, Rhee has shuttered ... Continue Reading »

6 Steps to Sell Your House Without a Realtor" alt="6 Steps to Sell Your House Without a Realtor" />

When Lake Grove, N.Y. residents Jim and Rose Maguire decided to sell their vacation home in Vero Beach, Fla. they decided to try the home sale themselves. With limited knowledge of home sales (they'd purchased three homes but never sold any), Jim went online, searched "for sale by owner" and came across ... Continue Reading »

How to Choose a Realtor" alt="How to Choose a Realtor" />

Virginia Realtor Lon Crow has firm ideas on how homebuyers should choose a Realtor. And they don't involve calling the agent named at the bottom of a listing. "You have to find someone who will act on your behalf. A listing agent's not going to do that. A listing agent is going to try to get the price that, in theory, ... Continue Reading »

Should You Use a Buyer's Agent?" alt="Should You Use a Buyer's Agent?" />

To put it bluntly, Carrie and Ryan Fitzgerald of Washington, D.C. were "clueless" about home buying when they decided to purchase a condominium. "We weren't sure where to start. A friend in Boston suggested getting a buyer's agent instead of a real estate agent, so we thought we'd give it a try," says Carrie. She ... Continue Reading »