A buyer’s real estate agent is an agent that works for you–the buyer. She helps you find the house that meets your needs, negotiate the best deal and advises you through the entire process.

If you’re buying in today’s marketing, you’re probably very savvy.  You’ve probably already started researching your home online using websites like  Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com.  You know what your price range is and what you want in your house.  Online searches make the whole process seem easy.

But once you start your online research, you quickly move into unknown territory.  Online searches can give you homes in neighborhoods you’re not familiar with.  They can give you homes that are asking a lot more than they are worth.

And when you start visiting homes, it gets even more confusing.  You can waste hours going to locations that  are undesirable.  If a home is competitively priced, it may be snatched up by someone else before you even realize it.   You could offer too much for a home because you don’t know any better.

And if you ask the seller’s agent for advice, don’t count on good help.  It’s like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

A buyer’s agent like myself works for you.

• I save you time by weeding through the many listings on the MLS and getting you straight to the homes which are most suited to your needs.
• I spot good homes at a good price right away and I let you know.  I can tell you if a home is overpriced, and give you advice about negotiating strategies.
• I remind you of details that keep your home owning experience pleasant.
• I follow-up on your offer and help manage it to the end.

What does a buyer’s agency do for you?

1.  I help you find a home that fits with your life. What if you need to commute to DC, the Pentagon, or the Reston Tech Corridor?  What if you want to lived in a planned community like Ashburn Village, Brambleton, or Broadlands?

Internet research can only go so far.  For example, I know commute routes and times.  On a Google map, all routes look short and easy.  I am better than a Google map because I know the inside story that people who drive the routes every day know.  I will keep you from saying, “I wish I knew that before I bought this house.”

2.  I help you take care of your family. If you don’t know about schools, parks, churches and other family community services, you can end up in regretting where you live.  I’ve not only lived in the Ashburn area for 10 years and graduated my 3 daughters from Loudoun County high schools, but I also worked in the Loudoun County Public Schools.  I know intimately the resources available to families in Ashburn; I know the homes in Ashburn, VA.

Can you look at a map and know which side of the street goes to one school and which one goes to another?  Do you know which parks have play structures and which have soccer fields?  From a map, do you know where there is new construction, and where the neighborhoods are more established?

Probably not, because who does?  If you’re new to the area, all of this is new.  But even if you have lived in Loudoun County for years, you will know the detail of your neighborhood, but not of all neighborhoods.

I know Ashburn in great detail.  I know what matters to you as a home buyer.  I can look at a MLS listing and tell you what is not described on the form.  And if I don’t know the answers, as a Keller Williams agent, I have the resources of all other Keller Williams agents combined–it’s like having a team help you buy your home.

3.  I help your offer close. With the aftermath of the mortgage collapse, financing has never been more complicated and volatile.  Pre-approval does not mean what it used to mean and banks expect you to jump through more hoops than ever before.  Deals collapse easily.

I monitor your home deal from start to finish and escort it through the process.  I make sure you don’t miss any deadlines.  I have a huge rolodex of reliable resources to solve any snags along the way.  You are not alone.  I make sure you get the house you fell in love with.

4.  While you fall in love with a home, I investigate the house. When you view a home, what do you see?  Fireplaces?  Master baths?  Flooring?

It’s likely you will miss a lot.

Looking at homes is overwhelming.  The details run together.  It is exhausting and it is hard to mentally erase the seller and draw in yourself.

I’ve got your back.

When we view homes together, I see what you miss.  Window quality, appliance and mechanical age, carpet wear–they’re not romantic but all of these things matter.  By knowing brand names, construction details, and neighborhood histories, I advise you about the quality of the building.

I see problems that may hit you later.  I look for stains on the concrete that indicate basement leaks. I see the signs of mold–even if the seller has tried to cover it up.  I look for clues that show pending repair bills.

And I see potential.  A home needing a coat of paint can save you thousands because most people can’t see past simple wear and tear.  Maybe the basement can easily be remodeled to include the home office you need.  Seeing the potential in a home can get you a bargain that others miss.

When you are imagining your family having Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room, I am thinking about all the details that keep your dream home from becoming a nightmare.  Go ahead and fall in love with the home.  I will remind you of the practical details that make it lovable.

A Buyer’s Agency Saves You Money

A home doesn’t just make a difference in your family’s scrapbook.  It makes a difference in your pocketbook.  Seeing the real truth about a house and negotiating wisely can save you thousands of dollars.

Having a buyer’s real estate agent like myself means that you have an advocate, an adviser and a friend on your side.  Buying a home is not only a huge financial investment for you and your family, it is an investment into the place that will hold the memories for your family for years.  Don’t make such a big investment alone.

Contact me today for a free consultation.  Even if you are not ready to commit, a conversation costs you nothing.  Contact me and I will tell you how I can help you find the home that you will love for years.

The most successful home buyers use the right tools and resources to find the perfect house. Connecting up with an expert is the first step in the process.

I’m Melana and I’m an expert on homes in Ashburn, VA.

I help buyers find the right home in Ashburn, Virginia and the nearby areas in northern Virginia. I’ve been in this business for years and I really enjoy it – the business part, but mostly the people part.

Moving is a stressful time for everyone, and especially families. It’s disruptive to schedules and filled with uncertainty, not just because it means moving to a new house, but sometimes also to a new city. That means everything is different.

Add the financial strain to the mix and moving to a new house is a very big deal. Most families only own one house at a time and don’t buy a new house very often, so a new home is a huge purchase and can be difficult to understand.

I help people buy homes in Ashburn, Virginia.

Here’s how Melana, your Ashburn Realtor,  can help:

• professional search tools
• knowledge of the Ashburn area market
• intimate knowledge of Loudoun County Schools
• understands the entire buying process from both sides
• Buyer’s Agent
• sharp negotiating skills
• financing options and contacts
• years of experience

You only need one house, but you want it to be the ideal house, and there are so many choices. In fact, sometimes there are more search engines for finding houses for sale than there are houses for sale in the area!

Realtors have access to professional level search tools that can save you, the buyer, a lot of time. And, let’s face it, extra time is something that people who are buying a new house simply don’t have.

Buyer’s Tip: Homes Database is the best self-service search engine for this area.   Start searching online yourself and when you are ready to shift gears, contact me for one-on-one assistance.

A Buyer’s Agent works on the behalf of the buyer only. Some of the benefits to the buyer are obvious, like saving time on finding available properties for sale. Other benefits are not so obvious.

(Buyer’s Agent = Leasing Agent for those who need to rent, rather than buy, their next home.)

I go into more detail about what it means to be an Ashburn Realtor and Buyer’s Agent in other posts on this website. But for this article let me sum it up this way.

A Buyer’s Agent is a stress reducer!

A Buyer’s Agent ensures a smooth, successful purchase of a home in Ashburn, VA.  Simple as that.

I know what it takes to make sure the details get worked out, the hassles get handled, the papers get signed, and the whole buying experience goes as smoothly as possible.

I help people buy homes in Ashburn, VA.

And I do it because I love to see happy families in their new homes!

About the Expert: Melana Wilson specializes in helping buyers find the right home in Ashburn Virginia. She is a licensed Realtor and expert in northern Virginia real estate. For a no-cost appointment, contact Melana directly.

Homes in Ashburn Virginia are in a desirable location for several reasons.   Ashburn is out of the major congestion near the beltway, but is still close enough for commuters and homeowners to have easy access to several major roads leading into the Washington D.C. area.

The Dulles tollway and Dulles Greenway, Fairfax County Parkway, Loudoun County Parkway, Interstate 66, and Highway 7 are all easily accessible from Ashburn for commuters going into D.C. or around the beltway to points north or south of Washington D.C.

So who buys homes in Ashburn Virginia?

Work and Careers that draw families to Ashburn:

• U.S. Military
• Homeland Security
• High Tech & IT Specialists
• Washington Redskins

Military families that want access to the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and a host of other smaller facilities and related offices.  Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) changes are affecting northern Virginia significantly.

Many military families relocating to this area who can live in Ashburn are choosing to because of the accessibility and the amenities that Ashburn VA offers.

The federal government is one of the largest employers in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area and there are a large number of facilities in many different departments.  More and more government jobs are moving into northern Virginia, both for the space as well as the opportunity for lower cost office facilities.

The Office of Homeland Security is one of those departments that is growing rapidly and has offices in northern Virginia.  It is a bit of a joke around here – that you can’t tell which office is Homeland Security, or CIA, or FBI – because of the secrecy.  Many friends and neighbors have security clearances, live in Ashburn, and don’t have to commute far because the office space has moved toward Ashburn, VA.

The high tech corridor is still a big employer, so IT specialists and tech professionals live in Ashburn and Broadlands and Brambleton and Leesburg.  AOL, Verizon, and a long list of other big name companies line the Tech Corridor around Ashburn and Reston, Virginia.

The Washington Redskins training facility is in Ashburn, VA. Players, staff, and many related and supporting businesses call Ashburn home.

Just 30 miles from Washington D.C., closer still to the Technology corridor, and home to the Redskins, homes in Ashburn are ideal for many people in northern Virginia.

One last entry – Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) – is a key employer of medical professionals and researchers and is in the Janelia Farm Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia.

About the Expert: Melana Wilson specializes in helping buyers find the right home in Ashburn Virginia. She is a licensed Realtor and expert in northern Virginia real estate. For a no-cost appointment, contact Melana directly.

Ashburn Virginia is 30 miles west of Washington, D.C. and is one of the largest cities in Loudoun County, Virginia. Ashburn refers to an older area in the community, commonly called Old Ashburn, plus a growing number of planned communities. Ashburn VA has a rich history, dating back to the early 1800′s.

Homes in Ashburn VA are in some older neighborhoods such as Ashburn Village as well as newer ones such as Broadlands, Brambleton, and Farmwell Station, an original name for the area. People looking for homes in Ashburn VA have a lot of choices, both in terms of size, age, and location.

Since many of the areas, especially the newer housing areas, are well planned communities, many have homeowners associations and the amenities that go along with them. Ashburn Village, for example, has the Ashburn Village Sports Pavillion which serves the residents of Ashburn Village, but also some of the surrounding areas.

Click on the image to visit Ashburn Village Sports Pavillion official site

Loudoun County Schools, a very highly rated public school system in the country, provides the schools for Ashburn Virginia. It is one of the fastest growing schools, adding more than one new school per year over the last few years with the same planned growth rate into the future.

Ashburn is located just east of Leesburg, VA which is the county seat and enjoys a robust growth rate. Eastern Loudoun County, where Ashburn is located is the one of the fastest growing areas of the country. It’s also a very prosperous area too, with a much higher than average per-capita income level, even for east coast counties.

Part of the reason for the prosperity, is the number of businesses located in northern Virginia. Ashburn borders on the high tech corridor centered around Reston but has many high profile employers, like the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, located right in Ashburn.

Ashburn is a favorite location for families simply because it is a nice place to raise a family, is out far enough to have less congestion, but is still within easy commuting distance of Reston, Tysons Corner, Springfield, and Washington D.C. itself. Ashburn is on the western edge of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

If you are moving to northern Virginia, consider Ashburn and contact me to get the expert guidance you need in finding the right home for you. I’m Melana Wilson, an experienced Keller Williams Real Estate Agent and an expert on homes in Ashburn, VA.

About the Expert: Melana Wilson specializes in helping buyers find the right home in Ashburn Virginia. She is a licensed Realtor and expert in northern Virginia real estate. For a no-cost appointment, contact Melana directly.

Hi, I’m Melana Wilson.  Thanks for visiting my website.

This site is for people interested in buying a home in Ashburn VA.

I am a licensed Realtor and an expert on real estate in northern Virginia and specifically in Ashburn, Virginia.

I’ve lived in this area a long time, I own property in the area, and I raised my daughters here.

My focus is on helping buyers.  I specialize in helping people buy homes in Ashburn Virginia and the surrounding areas.  Places like Broadlands, Brambleton, Leesburg, Lowes Island, and of course Ashburn Village where I live now.

Contact me today and let me help you find your next home in Ashburn Virginia.

Find out more about me or get more information about the community of Ashburn Virginia.