There’s a really interesting column in today’s Washington Post today about real estate as an investment.

We at BGC often talk about how putting your money into a home can pay off big time in the long run, and the column, written by Justin Pierce, examines that theory.

“I am struck by how people struggle to find ways to put their money to work. Most people think their only option is to put money into stocks or mutual funds. People are intimidated by real estate and other direct investing strategies. They think they’re too risky,” The article reads.  ”Yet they’ll run off and sink their entire life’s savings into a blue chip company not knowing a single thing about the organization because large American companies can’t fail, right? There are good solid real estate investments all around you, and there are ways you can hedge your bets to protect your investment.”

The article, which you can read here,  goes on to assess several important factors in real estate investment and concludes with this thoughtful statement:

“Remember, there is no such thing as risk free investing or easy money. Anyone who says otherwise is probably a conman. Seek professionals with a track record of performance and get an attorney involved early.”

Pierce hits the nail on the head with this one.

When considering real estate investment you need to get the best available advice, so contact our experienced BGC professionals at any time if you are thinking about investing!

It’s quite clear that Washington, D.C. is on its way to becoming one of the most popular cities to live in the United States.

From the development of new residences, to the burgeoning restaurant scene, to the increase in young professionals all over the District, the evidence that D.C. is “the next big thing” is everywhere.

And now there’s further evidence.

According to the 36th annual United Van Lines migration study, Washington, D.C. had the highest percentage of people moving in of any place in 2012.

D.C. was followed by Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina, and South Carolina respectively.

“Washington, D.C., Oregon and the Carolinas may be attractive places to move because of their lower housing costs, more temperate climate, diversified and growing economies, as well as maturing manufacturing bases and high technology clusters,” Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, reportedly said in a news release.

See the full report here. 

Over the past several years the number of people moving into D.C. has been staggering and it will be interesting to see what that number is going forward.

Learn more about the D.C. housing market and home prices on our Brandon Green homepage.

While the housing market looks to be on the upswing, buyer satisfaction is reportedly going in the opposite direction.

According to a study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, home-buyer satisfaction has hit an all-time low.

Yikes.

“The study, now in its fifth year, found that overall satisfaction among home buyers is at its lowest level in the history of the study, averaging 789 on a 1,000-point scale, compared with 797 in 2011. Satisfaction among sellers has declined as well, averaging 768, compared with 779 in 2011,” UPI reports.

Keller Williams ranked highest in customer satisfaction in home-buyer and home-seller segments.

This is just sad news for everyone involved in the real estate business.  Home buying should be a fun, exciting experience, not one that renders people unhappy.

Read the full story on UPI.

At BGC, our motto is that where you live is the cornerstone of your life and our role as a realtor is to help you move that piece into place.  Our promise to you is to listen and to connect with what you want to accomplish and make that a reality.

We like to think our customer satisfaction is quite high

Contact one of our fantastic agents to find out why.

The U.S. housing market continues its strong rebound according to a report published last week on Quartz website.

What fantastic news for home sellers and pretty much everyone in the country.

“More good news on US housing today, suggesting that one of the few bright spots in the global economy—the healing trend in US residential real estate—remains intact,” The article reads.  ”Existing home sales jumped a better than expected 2.1% in October, reaching a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.79 million.”

Read the full story here there’s a cool chart with data.

As the housing market continues to strengthen, we at BGC continue to have some beautiful homes available in the D.C. area.Check some out here! 

The seventh and final video in our series dedicated to how to best navigate the home buying process is here! In this video, our Eric Nicholson talks about the final step: Moving in.  Our BGC team hopes to help you navigate the home buying process at some point as well!

Check out this video, the sixth in a series of 7 videos, in which our Brandon Green Companies team explains how to best navigate the home buying process.  In this video our Jennifer Errichetti  talks about a move to settlement.  Check it out!

Check out this video, the fifth in a series of 7 videos, in which our Brandon Green Companies team explains how to best navigate the home buying process.  In this video Jack Battistini talks about planning your home inspection.

Check out this video, the fourth in a series of 7 videos, in which our Brandon Green Companies team explains how to best navigate the home buying process.  In this video, Veronica Seva addresses step 4: Making An Offer.

Check out this video, the third in a series of 7 videos, in which our Brandon Green Companies team explains how to best navigate the home buying process.  In this video, Troy Patterson addresses step 3: Finding Your Home…a.k.a. “The FUN PART”!

Check out this video, the second in a series of 7 videos, in which our Brandon Green Companies team explains how to best navigate the home buying process.  In this video, Todd Pede addresses step 2: Getting Pre-Approval.